The Anger of a Good Man
by Cormag Ravenstaff
Summary: Vincent thought his role in wars were over. He thought he'd achieved peace. But that was shattered with the message of a dying man, "King Chrom has taken Plegia and Ferox... The Dynast King marches for Valm."
1. At Peace no more

**A bit weird to be back at chpt 1. Ah well, I can manage. So! Read all of this, because some of it is important!**

**General stuff: Well, here starts The Anger of a Good Man. I will most often probably reference it as the Sanity Sequel because it sounds cooler than AGM. Italics are thoughts, lots of Italics are flashbacks (You'll figure them out). If you dislike swearing, don't read this.**

**For those of you who didn't read Sanity****: I strongly suggest you read it. But if you're all 'Ain't nobody got time fo' that!' then PM me and I'll give you a summary of Sanity. But you'll still miss a lot of crap if you even do that. Just go read it.**

**For those of you who read Sanity****: Haha, I'm back! So this takes place ten years after Grima's death, so eight after the epilogue. A few new OCs, trying to REALLY cut back on them. Some characters have died in the time gap, but each living canon character will get some screen time.**

**Now, this is very ****IMPORTANT****, this first scene…well, you'll see. But some characters are bad guys. But some are like Jaffar, they turn into good guys. So I don't want hate for showing several people in a darker light. In this entire fic, I have completely ignored character game endings, so none of the 'X didn't go to Valm! X stayed in Ylisse!' crap. Just follow along people.**

**VERY IMPORTANT! No guest reviews! If you are too lazy to log in, don't leave a review! If you don't have an account, don't leave a review! (Or get an account here). But bottom line, no guest reviews. I will not read them. They will immediately be deleted.**

**And how about that title? Different from all those unoriginal titles! And the plot…well, I guarantee this isn't an 'Oh no! The Grimleal have returned!' or 'Oops, we didn't kill Grima.' As far as I know, no one has done this!**

**Finally, this first chpt is dark. But don't worry, it'll get happier. I need to set the scene for the bad guys.**

**All shall be explained in good time, my friends…**

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Awakening

* * *

Part One

Chapter 1

At Peace no more

"Hyah!" Sully yelled at her horse. Her companion whinnied tiredly. They had been riding for two days straight with barely enough time to eat. She knew they were catching up to her, Frederick wasn't one to let someone go.

They were passing through a village. Sully jumped off her horse and ran into the nearest house. It was about dinner time and the family was sitting down to eat. Sully dashed in to their surprise, and grabbed five apples. She was about to leave when she pressed a gold royal down onto the table. Then she ran out.

The Queen of Ylisse ate one of the apples so fast you'd swear it wasn't there. She put two of them in her pocket. The other two she fed her horse when she got back to him.

Sully jumped back on her horse. There was no time to waste. She needed to get to Plegia. General Stahl could help her escape.

But it was not meant to be. As she rode her horse to its limit, she saw nearby trees and bushes moving. The Wolves had found her. "Hyah! Go!" Sully yelled as he horse sped up. There were cries from the trees and arrows began to fly.

One hit her in the shoulder and she barely flinched. Sully had been a Shepherd before a Queen, and a damn good one.

She wasn't so lucky with the next one. It hit her in her stomach. She was thrown from her horse forcefully. Her horse galloped away. Sully didn't blame it, she'd ran it nearly to death.

She shakily stood up and drew her sword. Arrows stopped flying as she saw five people ride up to her. She hadn't expected all four of The Horsemen to come. Much less him.

"Queen Sully, you are charged with high treason. The penalty is death, do you object?" Frederick said as he got off his black horse. The dark look in his eyes had long replaced the usual friendly one she knew.

"Frederick, this isn't you! Wake up!" Sully hissed at him.

"Enough. Let me do it," a familiar voice said. Sully didn't even have to look at him to know who it was.

King Chrom _was_ her husband.

He pulled Gungnir off of his horse. He walked forward to her with that foreign look in his eyes. "Chrom…why?" Sully said desperately.

Chrom said nothing, so Sully tried again, "What made you do it? Why did you kill our daughter Kjelle?"

"I did not kill her. It was bandits," Chrom said in a monotone.

"Bullshit! We both know you lied to your citizens about that!" Sully raised her voice.

"Goodbye Sully, you should have never gotten in my way. You shouldn't have helped them escape," Chrom said with venom. He raised his lance and stabbed Sully through the heart.

"Now that that has been taken care of," Chrom cleaned his lance. "We must discuss how this will unfold." His Four Horsemen nodded. "Cordelia, has the Feroxi resistance been eliminated yet?"

"No milord," she said.

"That is your next assignment. Destroy them at all costs. We can't take Valm without silencing them first. Kellam, where ever you are, do I still have your loyalty?" Chrom turned to look for his next general.

Kellam nodded solemnly, "Is my wife still okay?"

"So long as you keep following my commands. Go to Plegia, make sure Queen Tharja still honors our alliance," Chrom said with no remorse. "Davik, you will lead the invasion of Valm. Head to Port Ferox and await orders." The third Horseman nodded without saying anything.

"Frederick, the defense of Ylisse is up to you. Put all who oppose you into the prison camps that we have been building," Chrom turned to his final Horseman.

Frederick bowed, "Your wish is my command, milord. If you would allow me a question my lord, where will you be during this?"

"Me? I'll be…

* * *

_One week earlier…_

Morgan sighed as she filed away her paperwork for the day. At least her sister Jessie said she'd visit later in the day. The Tactician looked over at her sleeping husband. Inigo said he'd help her with the paperwork, but he fell asleep very quickly after starting.

Morgan stood up quietly and walked over to him. She grabbed her father's purple cloak, she had it refitted so that it would finally fit her. When she was by Inigo, she leaned in close to his face until their noses were touching.

He mumbled something and slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Morgan right up next to him, he screamed and the chair toppled over.

Morgan laughed at Inigo's grumbling. She kissed him, and all was forgiven. "We should go dancing tonight, I finished with all my work," Morgan said with a smile.

Inigo rubbed his head painfully, but he nodded and gave a slight smile, "Glad I taught you how to dance?"

Morgan nodded vigorously, "I'd never thought it'd be so much fun." She helped Inigo to his feet.

Inigo chuckled, "That's because I'm always right!"

Morgan laughed at her husband's antics, "You're sounding like father now!"

Inigo grinned sheepishly, "It took me a while, but Vincent's cocky personality is catchy."

There was a quick knock at the door. Inigo straightened out his clothes while Morgan went to answer it. The door opened before she got to it. Her red headed sister burst through.

Jessie was out of breath, "We gotta go! Now!"

"What?" Inigo said puzzled.

"No time! Come with me!" Jessie grabbed Morgan's hand. Inigo followed them, alarmed.

Jessie led them through the castle's winding passage ways, taking the smallest and most out of the way ones. "The Queen has just tipped me off, King Chrom is coming to kill you," Jessie explained hurriedly.

"WHAT!?" Morgan and Inigo yelled at the same time.

"Shut up!" the Spymaster hissed. "He knows that you left gaping holes in the Feroxi invasion plan. He sent his guards to kill you and Inigo."

"The Feroxi…damn!" Morgan swore, which was something she never did. "I hid those so well. How did he…?"

"Don't worry, the Ylissean Intelligence Agency sabotaged a fair few things as well. But you should have come to me, I could have helped you!" Jessie said as they turned a corner.

"I didn't want to put you in danger," Morgan whispered.

"Bit late for that," she said. "One of my spies, Jenson betrayed us. Matt, Heather and me were planning to escape anyway. But now I found out about you, so we couldn't leave yet." A guard walked by and Jessie stopped them.

"What's our escape look like?" Morgan said.

Jessie motioned for them to continue, "I have a boat waiting for us. Matt and Heather are rounding up provisions. Gerome is delaying Chrom, and then he's coming too."

"Where are we going?" Inigo asked worriedly.

"To the one man who will know what to do, our father," Jessie said confidently.

"We're going to Valm?" Inigo said.

Jessie nodded, "We need to get as far away from Chrom as we can. He doesn't trust Morgan to make the battle plan for Valm."

Morgan looked shocked, "Valm!? He never told me he was starting another war…"

"We're here," Jessie said as they approached a wooden door. "This is a passage out of the castle, we need to move quickly!"

The three of them navigated through the small dark secret passage. When they got to the exit, they heard voices.

"The King says they might use this passage," said the one on the right.

"Doubt it, no one out of the royal family knows of it," said the one on the left.

"True, but these are the people who made the invasion of Ferox so difficult," said Left.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Right said gruffly.

"They're clever, the Dynast King can't anticipate ever-Agh!" Left cried out as Jessie stabbed him. Right went for his sword but Jessie beat him to the punch. She slit his throat with expertise.

"Let's move," she said simply.

Morgan nodded. She'd never get used to bloodshed, yet she was a tactician.

Oh the mysteries of life.

The party of three made their way through the port and to their boat. When they arrived, the three of them quickly boarded and waited for the others.

Gerome showed up on foot a few minutes later. He said his wyvern would meet up with them later. And the now party of four waited.

They heard yelling nearby, when Morgan looked over to investigate, she saw Ylissean guards fighting someone.

And that someone was plural. It was Matt and Heather.

Jessie signaled the captain of their ship to get the ship moving. She ran to the edge of the boat.

Matt waved his hand furiously, "GO!"

"No! Hurry!" Jessie screamed.

Heather shook her head, "We got these, just go! We'll buy you time!"

Jessie hesitated for a long moment, then nodded and signaled the captain to go. Morgan turned to Jessie, "What's happening?"

Jessie didn't meet her eyes, "This was the arrangement should anything go wrong."

Morgan looked back to her friends fighting the Ylisseans. She watched as Matt got stabbed through the heart and fell. "NO!" Morgan screamed as she watched Heather's pain as her husband died. She began fighting recklessly.

She too was stabbed through the heart. But by then their ship was already sailing towards open waters. They had escaped, but it wasn't a victory…

* * *

_Four weeks later…_

Vincent rolled over in his bed. He knew he needed to wake up. But his bed was so warm. And he held his beloved in his arms.

Vincent and Anna had moved to Valm five years ago when Vincent's daughter Morgan took over the post of Tactician of Ylisse and his other daughter Jessie the position of Spymaster.

Vincent got out of his bed. His wife stirred, "Where are you going?"

"I noticed yesterday that I need more herbs for my poisons, just running out to get some," Vincent waved. Anna nodded sleepily and went back to bed.

Vincent looked in his wife's mirror and slicked his hair back how he liked it. He reached to the hat rack and grabbed his black hat that had a red feather on it. He put on his black trench coat on and grabbed his favorite knife.

_Never go anywhere without a knife._

This Archangel Knife was special. When he had died, the angel Castoth had given it to him. It never broke, never dulled and was as light as a feather.

He stowed it in a pocket of his trench coat. He grabbed his Valflame tome lastly. He was ready….to go pick some herbs.

He walked out of his house. It was rather small, but he and Anna didn't need a big house, they only had one daughter. Well, only one non back from the future child. Morgan, Jessie and Remy all had come from the future to stop Grima. They did that, and they plus the rest of the future children stayed. So technically, Vincent only had one daughter, Anna. The Anna family resemblance ran strong with her.

Vincent walked through the swampy area. He and Anna liked living in seclusion, and his wife got plenty of business anyways. Not many Annas stayed in one place, but now that they had a permanent home, she did. Merchants and rich nobles came from all over to buy her goods. Once a month another Anna would restock his wife's inventory.

Vincent didn't mind the seclusion either. He took jobs from time to time. Assassinating nobles, robbing the rich, manipulating people, the usual stuff for an Ex-Spymaster. He quit five years ago and moved to Valm. But he was still famous even here. The Spymaster of Valm even asked him for help sometimes.

After the war, the continent of Valm was divided into two countries, Valm and Chon'sin. Say'ri ruled Chon'sin effectively despite her becoming crippled recently. And a new royal family now ruled Valm.

Back on the Ylissean continent, Chrom ruled Ylisse still and Tharja of all people ruled Plegia (Vincent suspected a few people died in order for that). To his knowledge, Khan Flavia and Khan Basilio still ruled Ferox in their usual way.

Vincent walked into the forest. Most of the things he needed were in there. The Ex-Spymaster walked for a long time until he got to the place he was looking for. A small clearing where the sun touched the ground and the plants he needed grew.

Vincent bent down and began picking and searching for the ones he needed. Behind him, he heard a twig snap. Most would automatically assume it was an animal.

But Spymasters were a suspicious folk.

Vincent stood up and flicked his wrist. The Archangel Knife slide from its hidden sheath into his hand. He closed his eyes, listening for the slightest disturbance. Normally, he wouldn't do this, but Castoth had warned him about something that would happen in ten years. It had been ten years. Castoth had also told him to be ready. Vincent was in top shape, he trained most days. Only the most experienced could best him.

His eyes shot open as he heard a footstep. He looked in the direction of the noise and a man burst out of the shrub. Vincent moved like lightning and struck the man down with a swift blow to the heart.

Three more emerged behind him. The idiots charged him one at a time, and he dealt each a lethal blow. Four more came out. These guys were smarter and attacked all at once. Vincent punched the first in the head and ducked below the second's blow. The third he stabbed in the groin while he was ducking. He rolled out of the way to avoid the fourth.

Vincent threw his knife at the second man. The other two seemed more confident since he didn't have his weapon. They both charged him, and Vincent waved his hands and they burst into flame. So did the man unconscious on the ground.

Vincent retrieved his knife and looked for the leader. The commander had to be around somewhere.

All of a sudden, a man tackled Vincent to the ground. Vincent kicked him off and pinned him to the ground. "Who sent you incompetent bastards to get me!?" Vincent said with venom.

The man said, "Jenson sends you his regards." Vincent gritted his teeth and stabbed him in the throat.

Jenson…that name. He had a grudge against Vincent. A rather silly one, Vincent passed his position as Spymaster to his daughter instead of him. He challenged her for the right of the position and lost. Now he blamed Vincent. He wasn't exactly sane… But Vincent never thought he'd go as far as to send people after him…

_Something must be happening in Ylisse_

Vincent picked up each body and threw them in a pile. He stood back and held his hand aloft and set fire to them. The magic allowed him to control the flames into a condensed area so as to not burn the whole forest down. He calmly picked his herbs, even more alert for danger and left quickly.

_Looks like it might rain…_

The clouds were getting…cloudy. Vincent would have paid it no mind, but with the sun being blocked he saw something in the distance. Something flying in the sky.

Vincent immediately pulled out his knife again in preparation. It couldn't be anything but a wyvern, but why here? Nothing of mention was here.

Except his family.

This had to be someone he knew.

Vincent stood his ground waiting for the wyvern to attack or land. As it drew closer, Vincent could see a man dressed in black on the top of the wyvern. Wearing a mask.

_Gerome!_

Vincent sent a spark of fire above his head to get his attention. The wyvern seemed to notice it and started its descent.

After a few more minutes, the wyvern landed. And Gerome toppled out of the saddle with an arrow protruding out of his armor. He wasn't moving.

Vincent ran to his side and began taking as much of the armor off as he could until Gerome stopped him, "Vincent…"

"What!? What happened!?" Vincent said with worry.

"We had to flee…Jessie, Morgan…Inigo. We all…tried to escape," Gerome said between breaths. "Ylisseans caught up…sent me to warn you. …The Dynast King has taken Ferox and Plegia…his next target is Valm." Gerome began coughing up blood. Vincent pulled out a few of the herbs he picked that had healing properties and applied them.

"Give this…to my mother and father…" Gerome said, much fainter than before. He handed a bloodstained envelop to Vincent.

Vincent took it and put it in his pocket, "I will see that it gets to them. Are my children safe?"

Gerome whispered, "I…don't know…" His head rolled to the side and his mask fell off. Gerome was dead.

_Shit!_

Vincent picked up the wyvern rider's body. He began to walk back to his house. Gerome needed to be buried. His wyvern followed behind obediently.

It took a few minutes to get back to his home. In the meantime Vincent was contemplating what he had just heard.

_Dynast King…that name could only refer to Chrom. Balthazar said something about Chrom the last time we met. Said he was preparing for something. But I know Chrom…what is happening?_

Vincent quickened his pace. He needed answers now.

After a few more minutes, Vincent arrived back at his home. "Wait here," he instructed the wyvern. The beast didn't blink as Vincent kicked the door open.

"Anna! I need you!" Vincent yelled without thinking. And both Annas ran into the room, his daughter and his wife. Anna took one look at Vincent and ushered her daughter out of the room. When she came back, she was all questions, "What is the meaning of this?"

"It's Gerome. He's delivered a warning," Vincent said wearily.

"Warning?" Anna said worriedly.

"I'll tell you about it later, we need to get to the capitol. I need to tell Virion and Cherche, and speak with Balthazar. I need answers," Vincent said slowly.

Anna nodded, "I suppose we'll just have to bring Anna along too?"

Vincent nodded with a faint smile, "Oh that'll be fun. You explain to her, I'll ready the caravan. But don't bring her outside, I don't want her to see me burying a dead man."

Anna nodded and went to search out their daughter from their house. Vincent picked up Gerome and brought him outside.

He approached the wyvern, Minerva? "Minerva, do you know where Rosanne?" Vincent asked. The wyvern growled, which Vincent took as a yes. "Alright, fly there. You'll be taken care of."

The wyvern took off. Vincent must have done a good job. He quickly readied the caravan for their trip. Then he grabbed a shovel and began to dig.

* * *

Remy yawned as he set down his axe. A long day of bandit hunting. His team of eight were tired, even Owain was too tired for his theatrics.

Remy began sharpening his silver axe. It was fairly new, so it wasn't too dull. But he wanted an excuse to stay alert. He'd heard something following them for the past hour, and he didn't let his guard down.

Running a hand through his green hair, he set to work sharpening while watching. After ten minutes, his alertness paid off. A bush rustled behind him.

"Everybody up!" Remy yelled in his commanding tone. He'd been leading a mercenary company for about eight years with Owain being his only member to have survived through them all. The swordmaster was the first up and roused the other five men and one woman.

Remy swung his axe into the bush that rustled and he heard a scream of pain. The Mad Hero pulled his axe out of the man he'd killed to find it bloody.

_And I just polished the damn thing._

Remy and his group looked around. They were surrounded. "Shit, well, diamond formation!" Remy yelled as his team hastened to obey. There were about twenty people around them. Not good.

On any given normal day, Remy would have full confidence. But with having just fought a fierce battle, only Remy and Owain were anywhere close to battle ready.

The unmarked enemies attacked. They quickly killed two of Remy's men. The Mad Hero applauded the fact that none of them ran, they were all veterans.

Remy and Owain hastened to kill as many as they could to protect their tired comrades. But it was not meant to be. Their opponents killed two more of the eight, now only four were left. Remy, Owain, the woman and one of the men.

But even that soon changed as the woman was hit from behind with an arrow. The man was decapitated by the enemy commander. It was only Remy and Owain fighting back to back.

"Owain! Double pike!" Remy yelled and jumped amidst the remaining enemies. Owain did the same, killing all the surrounding foes. Soon, only the commander remained.

"Damn it all!" the big man shouted. He ran at Remy with a huge axe.

When two axe users fight, it looks easier than it is. The axe was cumbersome and heavy, but strong. One hit always could make a different.

And that hit was Owain stabbing the commander from behind.

The big man screamed and fell over, still alive. "Check the bodies Owain. Let's find out who these people are," Remy ordered. Owain nodded and moved to act.

Remy approached the fallen commander. He took a vial of green liquid and poured it in the man's wound. "You should never hunt a poisoner's son. He'll always know a few tricks of the trade," Remy said coldly. "Now, who sent you!?"

The man laughed and shook his head, "I'm not tellin'!"

Remy merely shook his head, "That stuff I just poured into you, that is one of the most painful and lethal poisons known. You'll know it's working when your armpits begin to itch."

The man stopped laughing and moved to scratch his armpits. "The pain is coming. That will follow with organ failure. It works slowly, so you'll probably be laying here in pain for about an hour," Remy estimated.

The man still shook his head, "I ain't sayin' nothi-AGH!"

"Exactly. The pain is coming on now. Tell me and I'll end it!" Remy shouted.

"AGH! The Dynast King Chrom…Ylisseans. We're Ylissean," the man said in pain.

"What else do you know!?" Remy shouted.

The man grimaced at the pain, "Only that our next mission was to hunt and kill Princess Lissa.

Remy's eyes flashed. It couldn't be true, but this man wasn't lying, he could tell. He picked up his axe and removed the man's head.

"Owain…did you hear that?" Remy said, gesturing to the man.

Owain nodded, "I cannot fathom what sorcery made that man say that! My mother would never be hunted by majestic men of our country!"

Remy shook his head, "He wasn't lying. Take this." Remy handed him a bag of gold. "Find the Pirate Lord. Get him to get you back to Ylisse. Find your mother and warn her," Remy commanded.

Owain still seemed to be in shock, but he nodded. He quickly gathered his things and took their one horse.

Remy gathered his things and began piling the bodies.

_Father…I must find you._

* * *

**Author Notes: Longest chpt ever written by Cormag! Huzzah! So as you can see, some characters die (Told you I was cutting back on OCs) and some are evil. As you can see, Kellam is being forced. Perhaps others are as well…?**

**Now, this is such a better intro than to Sanity. If you read the first chpt of Sanity and thought, 'EW! Game script!' I only used it heavily in chpt1-5. So go try it again. And it's pretty boring until they go to Valm. Then it gets exciting.**

**I intend this fic to be my best. Longer chpts, in depth story. I don't have anything to follow so I can spend my time where I want. This story will be told from Vincent's, Remy's, Jessie's, Morgan's, Inigo's, Anna's or Lowell's) POVs. Perhaps an odd character here and there too.**

**Well, I'm pumped! Please review what you think! And if you want to, go vote on my poll on my profile!**

**I update on Wednesdays. But since I won't be available this Wednesday, you get this today!**

"**Imagine you were dying. Imagine you were afraid and a long way from home in terrible pain. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, you looked up and saw the face of the devil himself."**

**-The Doctor**


	2. The Power of a Tactician

Disclaimer: I own this plot! Haha, don't get to say that often!

* * *

Chapter 2

The Power of a Tactician

"Daddy, what're the 'Outrealms?'" Vincent's daughter asked him.

His wife was taking a turn at driving the caravan while Vincent rested inside. His daughter had brought along a stack of the Ex-Spymaster's books.

"Well, what does the book say about them?" Vincent asked.

"Well," Anna looked down at the page. "It says it is a place where space and time don't matter, is that true?" her ten year old mind perfectly able to grasp the meaning of it.

"Hmm, it's more like this. The Outrealms are different places through a certain gate. You could find places where time and space don't matter. But there are different worlds out there. I've seen a few briefly, and I once saw a parallel of our world," Vincent said.

"Like…" she searched for a comparison. "Like…Dragon's Gate in Elibe?"

Vincent chuckled. Sometimes it was surprising how smart she was, "Maybe. But I've never been there."

Anna nodded and went back to her reading. "I'm going to go talk to your mother for a bit, Anna," Vincent stood up.

His daughter half nodded, but was too absorbed into her book to pay attention. Vincent chuckled and climbed out onto the rider's seat of the caravan.

"How's it going?" Vincent said, taking off his hat so it wouldn't blow away.

"…Hmm? Sorry, I was doing inventory in my head," Anna giggled.

Vincent laughed, "I said, how're you doing?"

"Oh! I'm doing fine, how about you?" Anna said, not taking her eyes off the road and horses.

"Truthfully? A bit worried. I'm worried about what I'll find out from Balthazar and the others. And I'm hoping Jessie, Morgan and Inigo are fine," Vincent said nervously.

"I am too. But I think they'll be fine," Anna bit her lip in thought.

Vincent nodded thoughtfully.

_What is this world coming to…?_

* * *

"Anna, take Anna and find us an inn. That is your area of expertise after all, I need to track down Balthazar," Vincent said hurriedly. Anna nodded and let him go.

Vincent walked as quickly as he could to the royal palace. It was Walhart's old castle, why build a new one?

As Vincent approached the gate from the street, two guards blocked him.

"Hold! What is your business here, peasant!?" one of them said.

"My name is Vincent. Do you want the secret password too?" Vincent said impatiently.

The one who spoke before hesitated, then said, "Yes."

"Balthazar is the best Spymaster ever," Vincent spoke the password with a roll of his eyes. The two guards let him through.

He passed through the main gate of the castle. He knew his way around somewhat, he'd been here before on business.

_Hmm…a left or a right? I think it was left._

Vincent didn't remember as much as he thought he did.

"Oi! Vincent, that you?" a man's voice came from behind him. Vincent turned, finally seeing a familiar face.

Balthazar was Valm's Spymaster. He was good at his job too, rarely called on Vincent for help.

Balthazar said, "What're you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you. In private," Vincent said seriously.

Balthazar nodded, he gestured for Vincent to follow him. Vincent followed the brown haired man. Balthazar was about half a foot shorter than Vincent and had facial hair. A mustache to be precise.

_Though it isn't like that one general's 'stache. That was huge. This is a bit less…'stachey._

Balthazar led him into a small storage room. "So what'd you need me for?" Balthazar said seriously.

"I need to know what you've found out about Ylisse," Vincent said simply.

Balthazar suddenly was more alert, "Ah…you've found out."

"Found out about what?" Vincent said curiously.

"Ylisse is going to war with Valm. Plegia swore fealty to the Dynast King and Ferox was conquered. The Feroxi resistance is a major thorn in their side. Khan Lon'qu personally leads them," Balthazar said wearily.

"Khan…Lon'qu? What happened to his predecessor?" Vincent said fearfully.

"Khan Basilio fell in the battle of the capitol. Did you know him?" Balthazar asked curiously.

"Not well…but he was a powerful ally, what about Khan Flavia?" Vincent said worriedly.

"She's still alive to my knowledge," Balthazar shrugged. "Now, I was just going to a meeting with the King and his council. I can get you in to listen."

"No, not listen. Participate. Who else do you have that'll lead this army?" Vincent stated.

Balthazar looked surprised. But he nodded and began to walk to the council room.

* * *

Virion sat among the various Dukes and Counts of Valm. A few marquises decided to show up as well.

_Well, I dearly hope his majesty gets this meeting started soon._

Virion's wife Cherche grabbed his hand under the table. Virion was about to respond to it when the Spymaster walked into the room. His majesty called for order.

Balthazar bowed to the King and then addressed the assembly, "Milords and Ladies, another dark time has come upon us. Ylisse yet again prepares to wage war on us."

There were voices of outrage within the nobles. Virion could understand where they were coming from, Ylisse did invade Valm almost ten years ago. Memories were still fresh.

The Duke of Rosanne knew that Ylisse was in the right that time, but this time?

"When will this threat arrive at our shores?" the King's voice boomed across the hall. He was a good King surprisingly. No one had high expectations.

"About two months, milord. Possibly three," Balthazar said.

"What is the status of our army?" the King said.

_Right down to business. So noble!_

"Our army is significantly smaller than while the Conqueror reigned. Our intelligence says that the Ylisseans outnumber us three to one," Balthazar said nervously.

The King swore, and Balthazar continued, "But I have someone who can lead our forces. A man whose very name can turn the tide of a battle."

"And who is this man?" the King asked suspiciously.

"Well, I actually have two people. First is Vincent, the Tactician of Insanity," Balthazar turned to look to the right.

A man with a feathered hat on his head walked in. It was unmistakably Vincent.

"And I also brought someone you know, your majesty. The Duke of Garuvega," Balthazar looked to his left this time.

_Interesting…_

An assassin clad in tan clothing walked in. He had a big smile on his face. Like Vincent, there was no doubt about it. It was Lowell.

_Never thought those two would be fighting the Ylisseans…_

Lowell bowed, "Your majesty."

Vincent took his hat off his head, "Your majesty, thank you for allowing me to lead your forces."

"We haven't decided anything. I don't even know how competent you are!" the King said angrily. "It should be one of my sons who lead the Valmese!"

Vincent didn't flinch, which Virion silently applauded, "Your majesty, I led an army that was outnumber ten to one and took this continent by force. Doing the opposite will be no problem."

The King shook his head. Vincent changed tactics, "Have you heard the stories about me, your majesty?"

The King of Valm reluctantly nodded and Vincent went on, "If even half of those stories are true, then I am competent. If you want proof, I could poison you from right here without moving my feet to satisfy you."

The court of nobles all voiced their outrage at the Tactician while the King and Vincent didn't move. Virion glanced at the Tactician worriedly, the Archest of Archers couldn't tell what his next move would be.

"Your majesty, I suggest you accept how competent we are. For Vincent just created the distraction that a poisoner would need," Lowell said, suddenly from behind the King's throne.

Everyone, including Virion gasped in surprise. Vincent smirked triumphantly, "Nice job Lowell, I'd hoped you'd catch on. Now that our competence is determined, I suggest you allow me to command your army."

The King watched Lowell walk back down to where his friend was carefully, "Balthazar, can we trust this man?"

Balthazar nodded, and the King said, "Why do you want to lead our army to war?"

Vincent flashed a smile, "Revenge. King Chrom will not reign easy while I'm alive."

The King nodded, "Then you have to take one of my sons with you so they learn the way of the battlefield."

Vincent considered for a moment and then nodded, "Do I get to pick?"

It was the King of Valm's turn to hesitate, "Yes."

Virion watched Vincent look at the two men now standing, "Well…"

* * *

Vincent looked at the two Princes. Prince Aremist and Prince Avaval. Both had their reputations, Avaval for reckless, stupid, quick thinking, and strong. Aremist for being oblivious, kind, too careful and weak.

The choice was rather obvious. Who'd get in his way less?

"I'd like Prince Aremist to accompany the army," Vincent bowed for good measure.

The King nodded and the Prince nodded nervously while the other Prince fumed.

"Good day to you all, I must go. If I'm leading an army, I must get ready," Vincent bowed and left the room. Just like that.

Lowell and Balthazar soon followed after him. "Balthazar, I need you to tell Duke Virion that I need to see him. And will you be accompanying me on this crusade?" Vincent didn't look back.

"Wait Vincent! Aren't you kinda rushing into this?" Balthazar said nervously.

"We don't have much time, we must move as fast as we can," Lowell said cheerfully. "I thought that was quite fun. That assassination would have gone well, better than Chrom's…"

Vincent turned around, "What does that mean?"

Lowell hung his head, "Me and a few friends took a contract on the Dynast King. We got in, but someone tipped us off and we were attacked. Only I made it out."

Vincent mentally put some pieces together, "Lowell…was Syrenne with you?"

Lowell nodded silently while Balthazar looked confused. "Lowell's sister Syrenne," Vincent quickly explained.

Lowell sighed, then he perked up as if nothing had happened, "She wouldn't want me like this. Neither would Calista. Now if you'll excuse me, there's a maid that just turned the corner that is quite attractive." And with that, he was off.

Balthazar still looked confused, but he shrugged it off, "I can get you a conversation with Duke Virion right now, if you'd like."

Vincent nodded, "Good boy Balthazar, you'd make a good servant."

Balthazar scowled, "Sometime I'll get tired of your sarcasm and I'll snap."

"No you won't!" Vincent shouted.

Balthazar led Vincent through various corridors until they found Virion and his wife Cherche. "Ah! Vincent my good friend! What an entrance you made back there!" Virion said in his airy noble tone.

Vincent smirked, "I always make big entrances. Cherche, how good it is to see you as well." Vincent bowed to the pair of them. "But unfortunately, I am not here under good tidings," Vincent said genuinely sad. He held out the bloodstained envelope, "It's from Gerome."

Virion carefully took it. His wife leaned next to him and read over his shoulder. The pair of them gasped in astonishment. "H-how…?" Cherche said with tears in her eyes.

"I don't know. Minerva flew him to my location and he had an arrow sticking out of him. He warned me about Chrom's invasion and then passed away. I buried him at my home," Vincent said emotionlessly.

Virion, who was also crying nodded. Cherche buried her face into his ruffles. "I 'spect you'd like some time alone," and for the second time, Vincent bowed to them.

He and Balthazar quickly departed.

* * *

"Balthazar, I need you to tell me everything about the command in Ylisse," Vincent said as he walked down the halls with the other Spymaster.

Balthazar nodded, "Well, I suppose I should start with a bit of background context. Not too long ago, Princess Kjelle was supposedly killed by bandits."

"Supposedly?"

"Outside of Ylisse, it's rumored that King Chrom killed her. She was outspoken against his plans and such. So he got rid of her. A few weeks later, Queen Sully fled castle. A few days later, she's being buried in the royal cemetery."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Vincent said puzzled.

"Mostly that the invasion of Ferox was not justified. Not many supported it, there was a lot of sabotage at first. It almost seemed like the Feroxi would win. Ylissean food shortage, faulty weapons, holes in the tactics…" Balthazar trailed off with a smile, but his expression hardened. "Then came the prison camps. Not many opposed him after that. The Spymaster and Tactician of Ylisse fled recently in fear of being found out, I believe."

Vincent perked up, "Really?"

Balthazar nodded, "The Queen was the rallying point of all this. But when she died…"

Vincent understood, "What can you tell me about these 'Four Horsemen?'"

"Ylisse's four strongest warriors. First is Cordelia. She's fiercely loyal to Chrom, but we don't know how far she's willing to go. Twice she's overlooked a Feroxi Resistance incursion. She's in charge of eliminating the Feroxi Resistance.

"Next is Kellam, I have more on him. His wife is being held by Chrom so his hands are tied. He's in charge of keeping Plegia and Queen Tharja in check.

"Third is a man named Davik. Nothing is known about him. I mean nothing. Every spy I sent on him never reported back.

"Finally there is Frederick. He's the strongest of the Horsemen and is the commander of Ylisse's elite force called the Wolves. Formerly known as the Shepherds, I'm sure you get the irony of the name."

Vincent absorbed the information carefully. Some of it he'd known while some was new, "Interesting…I know three of them. This will be harder than I thought."

Balthazar stroked his 'stache in thought, "I was thinking Vincent, what will we do if we kill Chrom? Only Lucina remains to rule, will we install her?"

Vincent looked off thoughtfully, "I think I may have a plan…"

* * *

"No seriously, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met! The sight of you fills me with magic and joy!"

"Hey Lowell!"

"What?"

"Come over here, I want to have a word with you!"

"Ugh, fine. I'll talk to you later….what did you say your name was?"

"Hurry up Lowell!"

"Agh dammit. Fine!"

Lowell walked over to Vincent and sat down next to him in the bar. "What do you want Vincent?"

"Merely had a few questions, Duke of Garuvega?" Vincent raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Well, I am the only surviving member of my family. It may be a desolate wasteland of corpses, but I am a Duke," Lowell shrugged. "Can I go back to flirting with more women?"

"About that, why have suddenly started flirting?" Vincent said seriously.

"Well, I didn't really want to be unsocial anymore. Syrenne's dying wish was for me to be happy and not to turn out like I did when Calista died. So I figured, 'Hey, flirting requires no commitment and its fun. Why the hell not?'"

Vincent slightly rolled his eyes, "Bit of a dramatic turn for you, wouldn't have recognized you if I didn't see your face."

Lowell shrugged, "Meh, you'll get used to it. It's been ten years since Grima, people change. And I am coming with you on this escapade of yours, nothing you can do about it."

Vincent nodded, "Thank you, I'm going to need all the help I can get."

* * *

"Prince Aremist I presume?" Vincent bowed before the man.

"You may rise," the man nodded to him. The Prince was a tall figure, taller than Vincent. He had wild blonde hair that didn't seem to straighten out on his head. "Why did you pick me?" he said quietly.

"Er…what? Milord," Vincent added quickly.

"Why did you pick me to come with you in this war? I abhor violence. Why me?" Aremist asked shakily.

"Milord, you were a better choice than your brother, let us leave it at that," Vincent said, looking around at the Prince's visiting chambers. They were actually quite modest for a member of royalty.

_He's a good choice. Won't be spending away all the army's gold._

"Will I be fighting?" the Prince said.

"Only if you choose. I can't make you do anything, milord, "Vincent said.

Prince Aremist nodded, "Thank you. I suppose this'll be my chance to see the world like I've always wanted to."

Vincent couldn't resist, "Albeit it being covered in blood."

Aremist nodded, "That could pose an issue. It'll be our job to mop it up."

_I made a good choice._

"Be ready by the end of the week, milord. We have to leave as soon as we can," Vincent bowed and left.

As Vincent was leaving, the Prince called back, "I look forward to it."

* * *

**Author Notes: This lull of non-battle chpts will soon end. And more canon characters will come into play once we arrive in Ylisse.**

**I made one change to last chpt. It now says Part One above Chapter One in the last chpt. There are some significant things that happen that I feel had cause for that change.**

**The cover image of this fic is supposed to be Vincent. That look is what I've been trying to get at this whole time. Cover image + Trench coat + Feathered Hat = Vincent**

**Go vote on my poll! **

**Its official, every character EXCEPT Say'ri and Tiki will appear in this fic. Sorry to those who like those two, but I can't fit Tiki in anywhere and I can't write Say'ri.**

**As some of you know, I am not known for my in depth descriptions. Now, why you may ask? Because for me, whenever someone says 'Castle' or 'Port' I immediately conjure an image of my own in my head. Then I ignore the rest of the description, same goes for people. Once you have an idea of what the person looks like, that image doesn't change. I don't know if this is true for others, but it is for me. So that's what I intend to do for this fic. It's easier for you to use your imagination.**

**Whew! NaNo is over. It's weird to not be updating and writing so much XD**

"**No sir, **_**all thirteen!**_**"**

**-The Doctor**


	3. Raise the Sails!

Disclaimer: I do not own FE13. I own my OCs and this plot.

* * *

Chapter 3

Raise the Sails!

Vincent sat in the back of a wagon running his hands through his hair frustrated.

_We don't have enough time! Ylisse will be here sooner than we can manage!_

It was to Vincent's misfortune that the Valmese army moved so slowly. At this rate, the Ylissean army would land a month before they got to the central Valmese port Vincent invaded ten years ago.

_At least we got word back from Chon'sin. Their army will join with ours eventually. 'Tis a shame Say'ri won't be able to lead them in her crippled condition._

"I may be able to help you with that," a low monotone said.

Vincent involuntarily froze at that voice. It was him.

Castoth, the Angel of Naga.

"I can call a storm and buy you time, Vincent," Castoth said.

Vincent looked up at the brown haired angel, "Why would you do that?"

"You obviously need help fighting this war, and I am prepared to offer my services," Castoth sat down across from Vincent.

"No, I don't," Vincent said irked, "I don't need your help."

Castoth frowned, "You don't have the time to be proud like this-"

"_No! _We can't win a war using an angel!" Vincent lashed out. "I've thought for a long time, and I'm grateful for the Archangel knife and my life back, I can't use your help. Don't talk to me ever again. I don't want your help."

Castoth stood, "If I were human, I probably would be angry. But I can see your point. I will cause a storm in the sea and delay the Ylisseans either way though. You won't see me again."

"Wait-" but Castoth disappeared.

_Well…don't have to worry about that…maybe._

Vincent sighed. Now the very thing he feared would happen. He didn't know how long they'd be delayed. Or even if they would be. A tactician's greatest fear was the unknown for a reason.

Shit.

* * *

"I just can't figure out why you're leading another war, Vin," Anna said to him.

Vincent nodded, "It is strange. But Chrom would seek me out. Jenson's already sent people after me, it's only a matter of time before it happens again. I couldn't stay out of it, so I chose to join the right side. I'm sorry if it isn't what you wanted."

Anna shook her head, "I'm not worried about us. We each can hold our own. I'm worried about Anna." The couple looked over at their sleeping daughter. "I don't want any harm to come to her."

Vincent nodded, "I will protect her with all my power. I command an army now after all. General Vincent…how does that sound?"

Anna rolled her eyes, "I like Spymaster better. It's more marketable."

Vincent chuckled.

* * *

_A month or so later…_

Port Valm. The biggest port in Valm. The home of merchants, civilians and pirates.

Vincent walked into a familiar bar, he'd been there a long time ago. Looking for the same person he looked for today.

And being the sentimental kind of guy he was, he started his search with a familiar phrase.

"Hey! Assbutts!"

Vincent got the attention of every person in the bar, pirate or not. "I'm looking for the Pirate Lord."

No one moved until a man shouted from the corner, "We have a funny habit of running into each other at bars, laddie."

Captain Colby of the Leviathan stood up. He was giant, an old one, but a giant none the less. He motioned for Vincent to follow him.

"So laddie…still calling people assbutts?" Colby asked as they sat down in one of the private rooms.

"Well, some people don't change. But some do, you're calling me 'laddie' now," Vincent shrugged.

"You'll find it comes with old age, I'll be forty seven next year," Colby laughed heartily.

Vincent chuckled as well, "I'm afraid I need your help again."

"I figured you'd show up. I know about the invasion fleet, they're delayed a few days away in a huge storm," Colby said seriously.

Vincent sighed, "I figured so, given that they aren't here right now."

"I'll help you out. Just try to make this the last war of yours," Colby faintly grinned. "I'm getting too old for this."

Vincent chuckled, "I'll do my best."

"Hey, some people that were with you during that mess with Grima are across the street in the inn. Rescued them from Ylisseans. Apparently they were fleeing Ylisse. You should pay them a visit," Colby said as he got up to leave.

Vincent nodded and made his exit.

* * *

_A few minutes later and across the street…_

Vincent closed the door of the inn as he walked in. He didn't have to look long to figure out who it was that Colby had saved.

"Father!" a woman cried.

Vincent turned to his left only to get tackled by Morgan. His face was covered in her long red hair.

_I don't remember it being this long._

"Morgan!? How did you get here?" Vincent said surprised.

"We were chased out of Ylisse," a man said from behind her. Inigo.

"And the Pirate Lord saved us," Vincent's other daughter, Jessie said.

"So, Gerome was with you?" Vincent said.

The three of them nodded. "Where is he? Is he okay?" Morgan asked with the same childish curiosity she'd always had.

"I found him with an arrow in him. He died shortly after I found him," Vincent said regretfully.

Morgan and Inigo gasped. Jessie merely nodded, "I saw him get hit, but I didn't know if he was alright. And more bad news, Matt and Heather are dead."

"…You're joking!" Vincent yelled.

Jessie shook her head. Vincent smashed his fist on a nearby table in fury.

_Matts and Heather…gone!?_

"Fuck! Shit! Sonuvabitch!" Vincent muttered. They had been his friends. His mentors, he'd learned most of what he knew from them.

_Calm down Vinnie, getting riled up won't help you, _Gaius' voice echoed in his mind.

Vincent turned to Inigo, "How's Henry and Olivia?"

Inigo looked down, he'd long gotten over the fact that Vincent intimidated him, "I haven't heard from my parents in a while."

_Shit. _

"Father…have you assembled a new posse yet?" Morgan asked, trying to distract her father from the death of his two friends.

The Ex-Spymaster grinned slightly, "I have the start of one. Can I count on all of you?"

The three of them nodded.

* * *

Remy rode his stolen horse into the port town. He had seen the huge encampment of Valmese ways away.

_If father is anywhere, it'd be there._

Remy rode through the massive gates into the large city. His father had taught him how to find the Pirate Lord. If Vincent was crossing the seas, he'd enlist Captain Colby's help.

The trick was to pass by various bars until you find the one with five pirates outside.

_Sometimes it's the simplest things that keep us guarded the best._

Once he'd found the bar he was looking for, Remy ditched his horse and walked in.

_I need a drink first._

Remy ordered a beer from the bar tender. He gazed across the many pirates, thinking about how much he stood out.

_I have green hair, and these people all are wearing bandanas. I feel like a Ylissean at a Feroxi tournament._

"Hey! You lookin' at meh?" a grizzly man stood up and yelled at Remy.

The Mad Hero's eyebrows rose, "Um…no?"

"I'll teach yuh to judge meh!" the man roared and ran at Remy.

Remy acted without thinking. His fist collided with the big man's head. He reached his foot out and felt the man's leg break with the power of his kick.

The man fell over, knocked out. Remy looked up, "Well, now that I have your attention…Has anyone seen the Pirate Lord?"

* * *

Remy walked into the inn across the street from the bar he'd just met the Pirate Lord inside. After persuading the woman at the desk to tell him what room 'the man with the funny hat' was in, he located room thirteen.

And like the good son he was, he listened at the door.

"…thing wrong Vincent?" his mother said.

"…" he assumed it was Vincent who said nothing.

"Are you alright?" Anna said worriedly.

"…Matts and Heather are dead," his father said quietly.

_He's…joking, right? …Father wouldn't joke like that._

"_No!?_ You're joking!" Anna cried.

Vincent didn't say anything, which Remy assumed he'd just nodded his head.

_Now…would not be a good time for me to enter._

Remy walked down the hall slowly. As he reached the staircase, he couldn't hold his emotions in any longer and he punched the wall as hard as he could.

_Why…? They were my friends too! Why did they have to die!? Shiting shiting shit!_

Remy rubbed his now bloody hand painfully. He used his clean hand to wipe his tears away.

The Mad Hero walked down into the main room of the inn. He picked a table and sat down amidst the noise and clatter of a usual bar.

His friends were dead… No more would he cower behind his friends.

_I will end this war before even more suffering happens._

_You know you can't do that. It isn't possible. You can't kill Chrom magically from right here._

…_Fuck, I hate it when I'm right._

"Remy!" the most familiar voice in the world to him called.

His twin, Jessie ran up to him. He stood up and struggled to put on a smile.

_It's when everything looks hopeless that we use our biggest smiles._

Remy smiled, "Hey! You beat me here!" They gave each other a hug.

"What are you doing here? How did you know we'd be here?" Jessie exclaimed excitedly.

"Well, when there's a huge army, father is probably right in the middle of it," Remy shrugged.

"How has the mercenary business been?" Jessie asked, taking the seat across from him.

"It was fairly good, but we were attacked by Ylisseans recently. Only Owain and I made it out alive," Remy said.

Jessie winced, "Were they new recruits?"

Remy nodded, "Some of them. But I tortured the commander to find out why I was being attacked. Told me about Ylisse preparing for war. I followed the rumors until I came here."

"Well then, we're all here. Father, mother, Morgan and Inigo!" Jessie said happily.

Remy raised an eyebrow, "You mean I'm last? Dammit."

That elicited a chuckle from Jessie. Their conversation was interrupted by another familiar voice, "Remy!"

Morgan didn't even give him a chance to get out of his chair before she tackled him. Inigo was close behind her with a grin on his face.

"Hello Remy," a more unfamiliar voice said. Lowell was sitting down in the third chair suddenly.

_How the hell did I not notice him!?_

"Don't'cha worry about missing me Remy. I can be hard to spot," Lowell chuckled which turned into a hacking cough.

Remy took one look at Jessie's concerned face and grinned. He turned to Morgan, "Let's let these two be alone for a while."

Inigo chuckled while Morgan looked confused for a short bit…then grinned herself.

The three of them left as Jessie and Lowell were getting into a conversation.

* * *

"So Remy, how've you been? It's been what, two years since we've seen each other?" Inigo asked Remy as they stood outside of a bookstore waiting for Morgan.

"It has been awhile. I've been doing well, how about you and Morgan?" Remy said.

"We've been doing fine. And with the stress of Ylisse's tactician off her shoulders, she's been doing even better," Inigo smiled.

Morgan came out of the store with a stack of books that were forced into Inigo's arms. Remy laughed as Inigo struggled with the weight of the various tomes.

_If only times were always like this…_

* * *

"You don't sound good," Jessie said worriedly as Lowell coughed. Remy and the others had just left.

"Nothing to worry about," Lowell took a sip of his beer he had brought with him.

Jessie nodded, "Father told me you had changed. You act more like the Lowell I remember."

"The one from your trippy future?" he cocked his head to the side.

Jessie nodded, and Lowell added, "I assume that is good?"

The Spymaster laughed and nodded again, "So how's Syrenne?"

Lowell's hand clenched, which didn't go unnoticed by Jessie, "She's dead. Our attempt to kill the Dynast King went wrong."

The red headed assassin gasped, "Oh my gods! I'm so sorry Lowell."

The tan haired assassin waved his hand, "It wasn't your fault. You may have been the Spymaster, but I know how to avoid your agents. The King is the one to blame."

Jessie grabbed Lowell's hand to hold. Lowell nodded appreciatively, "She told me she didn't want me to go back to how I used to be. So now I flirt and drink. About as different as I can think of."

"In the other future, you'd always flirt with any woman you'd see, except my mother. I think you might have been scared of father," Jessie chuckled.

"If you're not scared of Vincent, then you're a stupid person. He's more powerful and clever than most of us think," Lowell said amusedly. "But enough moping around! I learned my lesson, no amount of mourning will bring back the dead. So have a drink with me in Syrenne's name!"

Jessie laughed and gladly obliged.

* * *

"How soon will we be boarding the ships?" Vincent said to Balthazar.

"Once we're fully stocked up on provisions. So probably two days," Balthazar estimated.

"Good, this port is getting boring," Anna said. They'd left their daughter with Morgan.

The three of them were conversing about the state of the army. Vincent had appointed Anna in charge of finances and Balthazar was in charge of pretty much everything else. Well, him and Prince Aremist.

"You sure this isn't too much work for you Balthazar?" Vincent said.

"Hah, I'm not old Vincent. I just want this to be over so I can step down from the role of Spymaster. The more I do, the sooner that comes," Balthazar scratched his 'stache.

"You want to retire?" Anna said curiously.

Balthazar sighed, "Yeah, this job is hard on a man. So I'm not really retiring, just stepping down to a lowly spy."

Vincent nodded, "That's a shame, you're good at your job."

Balthazar shrugged, "We'll see how this war goes."

Vincent turned to look at one of the street vendors. He saw the funny short man trying to pawn something to a traveling man. The man gave a hateful glare and kept walking. His eyes and Vincent's met.

_Oh damn. I have been careless._

"Let's keep walking," Vincent said forcefully. His two companions looked at him strangely, but didn't comment.

Vincent glanced at his reflection in the glass of a shop window. There were quite a few now.

"Listen to me and don't turn around," Vincent said urgently. "Ten seconds after I'm done talking, I need you to do exactly what I say, alright?"

Balthazar was smart enough not to turn his head, "What's wrong?"

"We're being followed," Vincent said darkly. "Jenson's men. In ten seconds, run as fast as you can back to the inn. I'll handle the ones behind us, but a few might try and get you two. In fact, it's very likely they will."

They kept walking as if nothing was happening. But in ten seconds, all hell broke loose.

Anna and Balthazar began running. Vincent spun on the spot and raised his hand. With a quick mental incantation, he shot a blast of wind at the closest pursuer.

_The time for subtly is over. Now is the time to act._

The wind magic hit the assassin and launched him back many paces into a shop window. Civilians began to scream and run for cover. Five assassins gathered around Vincent in a semi-circle. Vincent straightened his feathered hat, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Within seconds, every man had a knife in his hands, including Vincent. Vincent threw the Archangel knife into the assassin in the middle. It stuck out of his throat as the Ylissean fell over, dead. Three of the others began to rush Vincent. The fourth reached down and grabbed the knife out of his friend's throat. The fourth assassin ran off, blending into the crowds, never to be seen again.

_Dammit. Ah well, the less I have to do with Castoth, the better._

Vincent shot a bolt of electricity at one of the three. He missed surprisingly, and was rewarded with a cut to his shoulder. The other two Ylisseans began their attack on Vincent as he dove backward out of their reach.

_Luckily I have extras._

In an instant, Vincent's stiletto was in his hand.

_I've been spoiled by that knife, it's good to be back with a normal knife._

Vincent fell into the curve of battle he'd known for all his post amnesiac life. His knife collided with the first man's knife. Vincent quickly punched him in the gut and kicked him backwards. The second man tried to slit Vincent's throat, but Vincent caught the man's hand before the act was done. His other hand proceeded to break the man's wrist.

Vincent turned on spot and jabbed the knife into the side of the man's skull. He pulled it out only to get stabbed in his right shoulder, his primary arm. He threw the stiletto into his left hand and engaged the third man in battle. The third man was quick, but not very good. In fact, he ended up dying to an elementary tactic.

_Well…maybe a fireball to the face during a knife fight isn't elementary._

_Aren't you forgetting something?_

_Huh? Don't think-SHI-!_

He felt a knife pierce his right lung. The first man, he'd forgotten about him. Vincent let out a brief cry of pain before his mouth began filling with blood. Then there was a scream behind him.

"Can't let you do that, Ylissean," Balthazar said darkly. The assassin fell over, dead. A curved knife protruding from the man's heart.

"Balthazar…?" Vincent murmured.

"C'mon, we're too early on to die yet," Balthazar put one of Vincent's arms over his shoulders and began to carry him. "Drink this," Balthazar handed Vincent a vulnerary.

"How did you do that?" Vincent paused before drinking.

"Get back to you? Hey, they call me the Bloody Crow for a reason. And I know the name is a bitch. My drunken predecessor gave it to me and it's stuck," Balthazar said trying to add a bit of humor in.

"How's my wife?" Vincent slowly gulped down the vulnerary.

"She took a few hits, but she'll be fine. Well, she will now, I didn't think she would be for a while," Balthazar said.

_Shit…I can't let this keep happening!_

_I will stop Jenson. No matter the cost._

_I…have a plan. And no one will see it coming._

* * *

Vincent sat alone, his injuries still healing despite the vulnerary and staff work.

"You're getting careless Vincent," Castoth said, suddenly appearing across the room.

"What…are you doing here?" Vincent's expression going hard.

"Well, I am here to offer my help again. That storm worked out nicely, did it not?" Castoth said, yet again in a monotone.

"I don't want it. You brought me back to fight a war, let me do my job," Vincent said irked.

Castoth reached into his pocket and pulled out the Archangel knife, "I see you lost my knife, I won't trust you with it again. But if you don't want my help, then what do you want? Everyone wants something." He returned the knife to his pocket.

"I want you to leave. I don't want any angel or demon interfering with this war. I don't care whose side you're on, just leave," Vincent said angrily.

_I don't trust you._

Castoth got up, "You will regret the day you rejected my help. But I will stop any interference in your damned war."

There was a flash of light, and Castoth disappeared. For good hopefully.

* * *

_A few days later…_

"Are we ready?" Vincent said calmly. In front of him was the Pirate Lord's ship, the Leviathan.

Prince Aremist and Balthazar nodded. "We you give the signal General, we will leave," Aremist said.

Vincent nodded, "Let's go finish this. To war we sail."

* * *

**Author Notes: Castoth will not be reappearing in this fic. Neither him or any demons. They won't even be mentioned, except for Grima and Naga, they're bound to come up at times. Call it a headache now to save a fever later.**

**Woah, so many reviews for so few chapters! Thank you all! XD**

**"Morons!"**

**-Crowley, Supernatural**


	4. Chapter Four, Time for a Battle

Disclaimer: Derp. I don't own FE13. Derp.

**I could have made this battle longer than it is, but I felt that would make it super repetitive. So I promise you next battle will be bigger.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Chapter Four, Time for a Battle

Vincent looked across the ocean at the Ylissean fleet. It obviously wasn't the entire army of Ylisse, or else there'd be ten times as many ships.

The storm that had delayed the Ylisseans immensely was dissipating, leaving only dark clouds left.

"Father, are you ready?" Jessie said from behind him. Vincent nodded, the plan was simple. Burn as many ships as they could from afar. Then all hell was to break loose.

"Are the ballistae ready?" Vincent turned to Aremist.

He nodded, "They are ready at your command."

"Let's wait until they get into range. I'm surprised that you're still out here Prince, I thought you hated violence," Vincent quirked an eyebrow.

The Valmese Prince's hand drifted to the elegant rapier at his belt, "I must learn at some time. I cannot let others fight my battles for me forever."

"Prince…you've got steel. I'm surprised. Stay back though, wouldn't want you dead," Vincent took his spyglass he borrowed from the Pirate Lord and looked at the oncoming ships. They were in a terrible formation.

_Oh Chrom, I thought fighting through a war with me would have taught you something._

"Arm the ballistae," Vincent commanded.

Aremist nodded and signaled to the mage in the lookout tower. The man nodded and began his magic signals. Soon all the boats were loading the ballistae bolts.

During the time that took, the ships flying the blue flag of Ylisse drew steadily closer. The red flagged Valmese ships began drifting forward.

"Light the bolts!" Vincent shouted.

The signal mage began signaling to the other ships. "Get in position everyone. This'll go by quicker than you think," Vincent drew his tome of magic out of his pocket.

The two opposing armies drew ever closer. Soon, they were within range.

"Wait for it…" Vincent muttered.

"General, we need to act now," the Prince said.

"Not yet…" Vincent squinted his eyes.

"Father…" Jessie said uncertainly.

"FIRE!" Vincent yelled.

The ballista on the Leviathan shot its bolt. The lone burning bolt sailed across the sky…and struck the forefront Ylissean ship.

Fire soon engulfed the deck. Now normal fire wouldn't have worked as quickly as this had, except…

Except that this was magic fire.

And magic fire devoured everything if instructed too.

_And you bet your soul I engineered that fire myself._

The signal mage's hands were waving wildly. Soon, other burning bolts were launched. Screams could be heard from the Ylisseans. Every so often a bolt would hit the oil storage room and the ship would explode.

"Alright Captain! Now is the time!" Vincent yelled.

Captain Colby gave a hearty laugh, "Aye aye, General!" He began yelling out to his crew to get moving. Vincent ran down to the deck of the ship. In about five minutes, behind Vincent stood his Posse and a large number of pirates.

"Aim for the Captains, Virion," Vincent said.

"I am the Archest of Archers, I never miss," Virion said in his 'noble' voice. Cherche giggled slightly next to him.

Sinking ships could be quite easy. You could kill the captain and anyone who takes over with well-placed archers. You could burn the ship. Or you could kill the entire crew.

"I need you all to occupy the enemy! I will burn the first ship from the inside!" Vincent addressed his Posse and the pirates.

_This will be a long battle._

Captain Colby pulled the Leviathan up next to the first Ylissean ship. The Valmese quickly put out the boards of wood you use to connect ships together with.

"Let's do this!" Vincent yelled.

The Valmese pirates shouted a war cry and began running across the planks savagely killing the Ylisseans on the other side. It was Vincent's Posse's move next.

First, Virion shot an arrow and killed the Captain of the ship.

Then the rest of them ran to the other ship. Vincent made his way to the latched door on the ground that led to below deck. While burning and electrocuting a few Ylisseans.

The General of the Valmese jumped down the ladder extending to below the deck. He fired fireballs like mad inside the wooden structure. Soon, the place was engulfed in flames.

_Fire mages determine the fate of a ship to ship battle._

Vincent dashed out of the ship. The fighting was fierce on the deck of the ship. But to an experienced eye, Vincent could see that the pirates were superior.

The General shouted, "It's done! Let's go!"

Vincent made a mad dash for the Leviathan. For those who didn't hear Vincent, they saw the smoke and started running as well.

A few Ylisseans caught on as well and ran too, but the Valmese archers denied them admittance onto the ship.

_One ship down… a shit ton to go._

_Damn, this'll be a long day._

_Least Jenson can't get us out here._

* * *

Remy decapitated the next archer. It was his turn to kill the archers, as Jessie had done it last time and Morgan before that.

Sibling bonding.

Remy saw his father run below deck again. Halfway there or so. Remy prepared to run.

_Wonder how the other elite mages are doing that father picked out?_

Remy threw his hand axe into the man who was taking over for the captain in piloting the ship. The captain's replacement was a small man, and he was thrown into the sea.

_Shit! There goes my hand axe._

Remy lifted his silver axe from his back and reaffirmed his grip on his shield. He saw his father shout whatever he shouted each ship. Smoke soon came out of the place Vincent had exited.

_Father, this one was slower than usual._

Remy made a run for it. He was getting better at killing with his axe while running. Almost bored he jumped back onto the Leviathan.

"Father, how are the rest of the ships doing?" Remy asked his father once on board.

"We've lost several, but we outnumber them. This isn't even a tenth of Ylisse's army. I think the Dynast King knew he'd lose this fight," Vincent sighed.

"General! The port side!" Colby shouted from the wheel.

Remy turned to his right (Vincent's left). A Ylissean boat was running up next to them, preparing to board.

"Prepare to repel the invaders!" Vincent yelled to the Posse and crew. All the fighters assembled quickly.

The planks of wood were extended, the Ylisseans jump onboard.

What Remy immediately noticed is that these were far better soldiers than the weaklings they'd encountered before.

_Ah, this ain't good._

* * *

Vincent blasted one of the heavy armor knights off the plank of wood. He fell quickly into the ocean, trapped by his enormous armor.

_The bigger they are, the harder they fall…or something like that._

"I've got this General, you rest up for the next one," said the signal mage from before. Vincent nodded, he was a good fire mage, he'd get the job done.

The signal mage led the pirates across to repel the attackers. Vincent turned around.

_Oh…hell._

He saw Jessie, Anna, Remy and Morgan all with knives pressed to their throats.

_Jenson._

"Well, well, well, the great Spymaster of Ylisse fallen prey to a simple trap," the leader said. He was also the one holding Anna hostage.

_Shit, the Posse is on the other ship. No one seems to have noticed._

"What do you want Arawe?" Vincent said angrily.

"This isn't about what I want, it's about what Jenson wants. And that means what the Dynast King wants," the man named Arawe said.

"And he wants…?" Vincent tapped his foot impatiently.

"He wants an arrow sticking in your heart," Arawe grinned.

"Oh, he wants to play cupid? I never knew he felt that way about me," Vincent said before he realized it.

"If you say anymore snarky, smartass comments I swear I will kill your wife right here and now!" Arawe shouted.

Vincent saw out of the corner of his eye the Pirate Lord standing just in his vision. Captain Colby nodded his head and walked backward.

_Alright…need a distraction._

"Is there any way we could come to a solution without me dying?" Vincent feigned interest.

"No," the assassin said annoyed.

_So much for that plan._

"Don't do it Vin!" Anna shouted before Arawe hushed her.

"Quiet!" he shouted. Then he looked up at Vincent, "Aww, she calls you Vin! Ready to submit to us Vin?"

Vincent slowly set down his tome and knife. But of course not the one in his sleeve.

"And the hidden ones! What do you take us for!?" Arawe shouted irritated.

Vincent sighed and began to remove his hidden knives. He set his last knife down onto a large pile of various knives and tomes. "Alright, I'm clean. Take me and release them."

"Walk over here slowly," Arawe commanded.

Vincent did as he was told. And he looked around as much as he could while doing it. He saw Colby's plan, now he just needed to spring it.

Vincent stopped halfway, "I want you to release my family now, then I'll keep going."

Arawe nodded, "Do as he says. But watch them carefully. Be ready."

Anna, Remy, Jessie and Morgan started walking towards Vincent.

"NOW!" Colby's voice echoed across the ship.

A hand axe struck the man who had been holding Jessie. Lowell, who had stealthily snuck up on the man who had had Remy, gutted him. Inigo removed Morgan's captor's head before he knew what was happening.

Vincent ran forward at Arawe and tackled him. He grabbed the assassin's wrist to prevent him from stabbing him.

"Be a good boy Arawe, tell me what Jenson's plans are!" Vincent yelled.

The man only shook his head and grinned. The General saw him bite down on something.

Poison.

Dammit.

"Shit," Vincent swore as he stood up. He turned around to see Inigo, Lowell and Colby checking to make sure his family was okay.

"Good plan Captain," Vincent said wearily.

Colby grinned, "Always the tone of surprise. Now shape up laddie! We've got work to do!"

* * *

_One week later…_

Balthazar walked down the stairs in the Leviathan towards Vincent's cabin. The General had locked himself in there after the battle because he was 'making battle plans.' He'd thankfully not been stupid enough to skip meals, but Balthazar needed to see what was going on.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one. Remy stood outside Vincent's door.

The two of them nodded to each other. Remy pounded on the door, "Open up father!"

"Or I'll have to pick the lock!" Balthazar finished.

The Bloody Crow didn't even wait for an answer, he bent down and began picking the lock. After two minutes, he opened the door.

Vincent looked up as they entered. He quickly rolled up the map in front of him.

"What's that?" Remy said curiously.

"A surprise," Vincent said.

"Vincent, what're you doing in here?" Balthazar said, irritated.

"I'm going to stop Jenson. This is the last time he harms my family," Vincent said coldly.

"Father, we're fine-" Remy was interrupted.

"But you won't be next time. Jenson has so many better agents than Arawe. I need to stop him once and for all," the Tactician said wearily. "And that reminds me, Remy, I'm making you my second in command."

"W-what?" Remy said surprised.

"All you have to do is lead battle charges and such. I do the rest," Vincent waved his hand.

"Why me?" Remy said startled.

"Because I need someone I can trust," Vincent said.

"That doesn't make much sense," Remy stated uncertainly.

Vincent looked at him, "Then make something up. Now the both of you leave, the sooner I finish this the sooner I'll rejoin you all."

Balthazar sighed. Vincent was a stubborn ass.

_There is something up with him though…_

* * *

Jessie stared out at the open ocean. She was so enthralled by it, she didn't even notice Lowell coming up behind her.

Well, no one noticed the assassin do anything if he didn't want them too.

"Heya Jessie," Lowell said, leaning on the rail like she was.

Having been scared like that by Lowell so many times, she barely reacted, "Hello Lowell."

"So what's a pretty girl like you doing looking all sad and wistful?" Lowell said. He started to give a hacking cough.

"Are you okay?" Jessie said worriedly.

"Sorry," he managed to get out. "Ever since I stopped smoking Astar's pipe, I've had this terrible cough."

"I knew that would be bad for you," Jessie said exasperatedly.

"Well, I wasn't smoking it every time you saw me with it," Lowell defended his position. "I'm sure there's a healer out there that can help me."

"What have you been doing these past years Lowell? I haven't seen you much until now," Jessie said with a hint of sadness.

"War does seem to bring us all together. But I was doing odd jobs. Even had a lady friend of sorts at one point," Lowell's smile fell.

Jessie perked up, "Lady friend?"

"Yeah. Not anymore though," Lowell looked back out at the ocean.

"That's…too bad," she tried to hide her relief. "What happened."

"Bandits. I wasn't there at the time," Lowell muttered so that Jessie barely heard him.

The red haired assassin hugged the tan clad assassin, "You want to know the real reason I flirt? Because every time I enter a committed relationship, she ends up dying. I don't want commitment. I'm obviously bad luck."

"Don't be an idiot Lowell, you're not bad luck," Jessie rolled her eyes.

"Ah! The pretty girl is insisting that I am not, therefore it must be!" Lowell said, back to his cheerful self.

Jessie laughed despite what she just heard.

_Oh Lowell…_

* * *

"So what have we heard about this 'Davik?'" Aremist said curiously.

"Well, he enjoys murdering innocents. That's all we've gathered so far," Vincent shrugged.

"That dastard!" Aremist cursed.

Vincent's eyebrows rose, "Dastard?"

Aremist nodded, "It's a harsh insult, General."

Vincent looked at him in disbelief, "No, it's not. Allow me to educate you on swearing, Prince. We'll start off easy, when someone pisses you off, call them an 'assbutt.'"

Aremist looked uncertain, "Why?"

"Because you look like a dumbass when you call someone a dastard…Prince," Vincent said.

"Blast! I didn't know!" Aremist said annoyed.

Vincent just sighed.

* * *

Davik sat in the mayor of Port Ferox's house. He ran a hand through his orange hair frustrated. The Valmese army had decimated the Ylissean vanguard.

"Sir!"

Davik looked up to see one of his generals. "What do you want?" he said.

"Sir! I merely am here because the man you are hunting is the general of the Valmese army, sir!" the general said confidently.

Davik perked up, "Are you sure?"

"Sir! Yes sir," he said.

"Very good, prepare our defenses. The Dynast King doesn't want them to land. I'll show them one of the Four Horsemen is not to be taken lightly," Davik cracked his knuckles.

"Sir!" the general departed.

Davik smiled, he'd finally get his vengeance.

_Oh brother, you will be avenged. I'll kill your murderer!_

_Vincent, you will pay for Gaius' death!_

* * *

**Next Chapter:**

**The Four Horsemen: Part One**

**Author Note: Oooo, cliffie! Next chpt is the final chpt of Part one! We'll soon be getting to the important stuff, as well as more canon characters to add to Vincent's Posse.**

"**Would you do it for a Scooby Snack?"**

**-You know who**


	5. The Four Horsemen: Part One

Disclaimer: Fire Emblem belongs to Nintendo.

* * *

Chapter 5

The Four Horsemen: Part One

Davik gazed out across the ocean. He could see the Valmese ships just on the horizon.

"Commander Davik!"

Davik turned to see a woman on a pegasus flying towards him. "Hello Cynthia," Davik said calmly.

"I've come with a message from my father," she said once she was close to Davik.

Davik motioned for her to continue. "General Frederick orders you to hold this city at all costs. Reinforcements are on the way, led by Commander Jenson."

"Very well. Tell him, as long as I stand, this city will stand in Ylisse's name," Davik said.

"Okay!" she said, her immaturity showing.

_She pretends to be all grown up. 'Tis a shame what happened to her mother._

"How has General Frederick been of late?" Davik asked curiously.

"Busy. I rarely see him outside of battle. It wasn't like this when mother was alive…" Cynthia gazed off into the distance. She broke out of her reverie, "Anyway, I need to go relay a message to General Cordelia!"

Davik nodded and Cynthia departed on her pegasus.

_Sweet kid. Pity she's so blind._

Davik didn't care for the Dynast King's schemes. The only thing he focused on was his revenge, it was what kept him going all these years.

_And soon, it will be time._

* * *

Port Ferox was in sight.

Their first major battle was nigh.

And Lowell yawned in boredom.

"C'mon Lowell! You should be more alert!" Jessie implored.

Lowell yawned, which turned into a slight cough, "Yeah, but we're not going to attack in broad daylight, that'd be stupid."

"You never know what father has planned," Jessie shrugged.

"He did lock himself up for quite a while. Probably making a plan of attack for Port Ferox," Lowell scratched his chin.

"Maybe. But I get the feeling the plans he was making had to do with Jenson," Jessie said.

"Meh, no one can ever tell what he's up to until the very end," Lowell chuckled.

The two of them stood in silence for a few minutes. Jessie broke the silence, "How's Garuvega?"

Lowell shrugged, "I'm the Duke of a desolate wasteland. Nothing has changed."

"You haven't rebuilt?" Jessie said curiously.

"Too many bad memories. And no one wants to live in a place where the population died not long ago," Lowell sighed.

Below them, Vincent burst out of his cabin, "Lowell! Where the hell are you?"

Lowell sighed, "Here. Why?"

Vincent quietly said, "I don't have a plan. I need your help."

_Well…this is troublesome._

* * *

"Alright assbutts, I need your attention now!" Vincent called around the table at the strategy meeting. Everyone important was there, Aremist, Colby, Virion, Balthazar, Remy and Lowell.

All seven of them gathered around. "What's the plan Vincent?" Balthazar asked.

"We each have a separate job. For this battle, you are all Generals. First off, Colby," Vincent turned to the Pirate Lord. "You are to lead what pirates you have under your command and strike here," he pointed at the northern edge of the city. "It's possible they don't know we're allied with pirates, so it may prove as an excellent distraction."

"Aremist and Remy. You two are to lead the main assault. I'll explain that later."

"Balthazar, you are the other distraction in case the first doesn't work. Take whomever you need and attack the command center of the Ylisseans. Me and Lowell will be cutting you a pathway. Virion, you back Balthazar up with your archers."

"For the main assault, I want Remy leading the charge. Davik may or may not be out there, if he is, engage him with caution Remy. Aremist, stay near the back, don't die. Your presence will boost morale of the Valmese. I'll inform you each individually what your precise job is. But we'll all meet up at the rendezvous point. Anyone not clear on what's going on?"

Lowell raised his hand immediately, "What the hell are we doing after we 'cut a path?'"

Vincent chuckled, "Oh, we're doing something that…veers from plan."

"Dammit. I wanted something normal for once," Lowell muttered.

"We attack at dusk, when the sun is setting in their eyes. Get some rest people," Vincent declared.

* * *

_Dusk the day of the battle…_

Captain Colby quietly stood on the front of his boat. His pirates number surprisingly many, he'd figured they would have died in the sea battle.

Twenty boats of his pirates quietly drifted towards the port. They all had dozens of raids' experience under their belts. The Pirate Lord only used the best.

_Alright, let's show 'em what we can do._

"Alright laddies, let's teach these Ylisseans what happens when they prey upon innocents," Colby growled.

There was a low murmur of approval and the boats began docking. The pirates stealthily jumped off the boats, their axes out.

Colby picked up his huge berserker axe with one hand. He led his large number of pirates into the edge of the city.

"Oi! Who's there!?" a voice shouted from one of the watch towers.

"Alright, things're going to plan. Let's carve these men up!" Colby shouted, seeing a few men begin to pick up on the watchman's cry.

They continued into the city with a few Ylissean encounters. But after a few minutes, the majority of Ylisseans came to 'greet' them.

Captain Colby swung his axe at the first batch of spearmen. His huge axe broke their spears, and their necks.

_Severed is a better word._

Like a knife stabbing into a man, the Pirate Lord's forces surged forward fighting like mad. The Ylisseans were not used to fighting vicious pirates.

All was going well.

Until the catapults started firing.

"Monsters! They're firing on their own city!" Colby growled and his battle rage doubled as he swatted the soldiers away like flies.

Captain Colby's force was cut in half by the catapults alone. And he would have perished there if not for the next stage in General Vincent's plan.

Colby hadn't been told the details for lack of time, but he assumed something that cut his opposition in more than half had to be it.

The Pirate Lord's men fought through the rest of the Ylisseans, and came out with twenty five survivors, not including Colby.

"So mates, I think it's time we go flay some catapults," the Captain grinned. The pirates cheered.

The twenty six pirates found their way to the catapults through several Ylisseans. Now it was Colby and twelve others.

The pirates hid behind a building and scouted the area around the catapults. Because Colby's real assignment was never to just distract, but to infiltrate as well.

So he did as berserkers do best, he charged out into the catapult area.

Little to say, he took them by surprise. And many died. Once all the foot soldiers were dead, Colby and his five pirates dismantled the catapults.

Colby's final goal was to head to the rendezvous point.

Davik's command center

* * *

Aremist stood in the back half of the army. Remy was up at the front leading the soldiers.

_Well, boosting morale is all I'm good for. _

The Prince of Valm had drawn his rapier, but he doubted he'd need it. Not with the elite Valmese forces destroying the Ylisseans.

_This fight…seems too easy._

* * *

Balthazar and Vincent's Posse snuck through the city as inconspicuously as possible. Captain Colby's attack must have been working, because there were few guards.

_Now…what did Vincent want me to set fire too?_

Balthazar looked behind him to see that the fire mage he'd brought along was still with them. Now to find the supplies. According to their spies, all of the supplies were piled up in one spot.

Vincent and Lowell were apparently killing all the surrounding patrols and drawing every other Ylissean as far away as they could.

_Those two must have a death wish._

The Posse plus a few extra navigated through the deserted buildings. Or they at least seemed deserted, civilians may have been hiding inside.

When they reached the supplies, no one was guarding it. "Color me impressed," the Bloody Crow amused. "Burn it. Cause as much smoke as you can, we're the diversion until Commander Remy gets here."

The fire mage nodded. He was surprisingly calm despite the fact that they might all die.

_Eh, you're not really a Spymaster until you've almost died. Twice._

"Alright people," Balthazar said in a carrying whisper. "We're to stand guard here and make sure it all burns until General Remy gets here. Got it?"

The thirty or so people nodded. They all went back to nervously conversing. For many of them it was only their second large scale battle in a long time.

Balthazar didn't have anyone to talk to. It made him aware of how few friends he actually had, but he waved those thoughts away.

So he went to talk to Jessie, who also wasn't talking to anyone.

"Nervous?" he asked her.

Jessie shook her head, "Not really. More so for Lowell."

Balthazar inwardly laughed. Anyone could see her feelings for the Duke of Garuvega. "So what's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"You know, out of the life. Not many people get the chance to leave the life of the Spymaster so easily," Balthazar said.

"What do you mean, not many people get a chance?" Jessie turned curiously towards him.

"You make a lot of enemies in the life. Some kill you as soon as you retire. It happened to my predecessor. So this may be your chance to escape," Balthazar shrugged.

"I thought I heard you wanted to retire from being Spymaster of Valm?" Jessie said curiously.

Balthazar nodded, "Not much left for me. I may be good at it, but I don't like the life. Maybe I'll do what Lowell does…"

Jessie was about to respond when the first of the Ylisseans showed up.

The Valmese leapt at the Ylisseans. They did pretty well against them until the reinforcements came. Colby must not have been doing as well as previously thought.

"Alright, it's now or never!" Balthazar yelled and ran forward to kill.

* * *

Lowell slit the man's throat in front of the command center. He and Vincent were cleaning up the stray guards that stood at all entrances quietly. The less for Remy to take care of.

"You alright Lowell?" Vincent said as he cleaned off his stiletto.

Lowell nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine-" he was cut off as he began coughing loudly.

"Hey! What was that?!"

_Shit._

A patrol of about ten guards were now looking straight at them. Vincent leapt into action, he fired a few bolts of lightning into the group.

Blinded by the light, Lowell shut his eyes. When he opened them, Vincent was pulling his knife out of the last one. "Step lively Lowell. I've got a plan."

"Is that a good thing?" Lowell said as caught up to The General.

Vincent laughed and motioned for him to follow. They walked into a nearby building and climbed all the way to the roof, ignoring all the civilians.

The two of them now looked over a large force clashing with a smaller one. "Ylissean doesn't care about its position here," Vincent muttered.

"How can you tell?" Lowell said curiously.

"Look at that small army. They couldn't hold us back even if they had the advantage. Something tells me this will be the last easy battle for a long time," Vincent said.

"So…why're we up here? It's not like there's any beautiful women around here," Lowell said puzzled.

"Call it a blast from the past. But you weren't there last time I did this," Vincent grinned. He walked to the edge of the building and extended his hand towards the Ylissean army. Muttering an incantation, he spun on the spot.

"_Surprise!"_

A huge lightning bolt descended from the sky and smashed into the middle of the Ylissean force. Fearing for their lives, they scattered in different directions only to get killed by Remy's force.

Lowell's eyes were wide open. Vincent laughed, "Call it an accessory to insanity."

* * *

Remy cleaved the man's head off with his axe. That lightning bolt could have only been from his father.

_And if it wasn't, then I'm surprised._

"Move it! We march on Davik now!' Remy yelled once the majority of Ylisseans were dead. The army behind him cheered.

The Prince of Valm caught up with him, "What was that lightning bolt?"

"My father's creation. Does it to shock the hell out of the enemy, your highness."

"Hmph. It certainly surprised me," Aremist chuckled slightly. "Wait, did you say 'your father?"'

"Yep. The General is my father," Remy said calmly like it made complete sense.

"How…how is that even possible!? You two are too close in age!" Aremist said stunned.

"You certainly live up to your reputation," Remy chuckled.

"What does that mean?" Aremist demanded.

"Oh, nothing your highness."

* * *

_A long time ago…_

"_When will you be back?" his mother asked Gaius._

"_I don't know. But when I come back, you'll be freed. Have hope," Gaius hugged her._

"_Be safe, my son," Gaius' father said worriedly._

"_Don't worry pops. I just have to kill one man. Not too tricky. But you need to watch out for Davik here," Gaius leaned down towards his younger brother. "I'm counting on you to watch out for mom and pops, okay?"_

_Davik nodded earnestly, "Don't worry Gaius! I can protect them!"_

_Gaius laughed, "See y'all later." And Gaius left, and that was the last time Davik ever saw him._

* * *

Prince Aremist stood near General Remy as they arrived at the command center. Remy selected his best soldiers and walked forward after giving orders to the rest of the army.

"Ah, Remy. Right on time."

Aremist looked to his right to see The General and one his assassin friends.

"Shall we greet our hosts?" Vincent said cheerfully as he walked towards the doors leading inside. Aremist drew his rapier.

Vincent pushed open the dual doors.

An orange haired man sat upon a regal throne within. He was surrounded by soldiers.

"Which one of you is Vincent?" he called out harshly.

The General raised his hand, "That's me."

The man nodded and picked up a claymore. "I challenge you to a duel to the death," he said simply.

"Am I to assume you are Davik?" Vincent said, executing a court bow.

"Yes you are. I will end you today for my brother's memory," Davik hefted his claymore.

Just then, Captain Colby burst into the room from another set of doors, "Sorry I'm late."

Vincent just nodded, "Who was your brother?"

Davik glared hatefully at Vincent, "I am only here today to avenge Gaius' death. I don't give a damn for Ylisse."

Aremist watched Vincent's face transform from cocky to horrified, "Oh _shit._"

"Exactly. You should have realized there would be repercussions for it. Now prepare to die!" Davik ran at Vincent, claymore aloft.

Vincent started to speak, "…!" He couldn't speak!

Davik's sword smashed into Vincent, sending him soaring across the room.

"NO!" Anna's voice came from the third set of doors to Aremist's right. She, Remy, Morgan and Jessie ran to his crumpled form.

"Damn them. A silence staff. Renders magic users useless," Lowell swore beside him.

Anna had begun her staff work on Vincent. He seemed to still be alive.

"Give me your sword," Aremist commanded a nearby soldier. The man gave him his iron blade.

"I, Prince Aremist of Valm challenge you, Davik of Ylisse to combat!" Aremist shouted, pointing his sword at Davik.

"What the fuck are you doing sir!?" Balthazar shouted.

Davik merely looked at the Prince and laughed, "Well well, if it isn't Prince Asspiss. Challenging me? How foolish. We all know you can't fight."

"You dare insult me? I will stab you a thousand times for that insult!" Aremist shouted angrily.

"Woah, anger issues," Davik smirked.

Aremist brandished his sword. Davik picked the claymore back up and ran at him. To everyone's surprise, Aremist held the sword up and blocked the attack.

Using the moment, Aremist sliced at Davik with ease, "Do you honestly think I couldn't use a sword?"

Davik dropped all cockiness out of his face and came at Aremist again. His claymore swung at Aremist vertically. The Prince jumped out of the way in time and slashed a flurry of blows at Davik.

"How…are…you…doing that?" Davik said between blows. "You're…supposed to be…weak!" he threw Aremist back.

"Weak in some traits I may be, but I tired of living in my brother's shadow. No one needed to know how much I practiced until I could defeat him," Aremist smirked.

Davik roared, "I will not be killed by you! I must have my revenge!" He jumped with the huge sword in his hand at Aremist. The Prince held up his sword to block.

And it broke.

Discarding the sword, Aremist pulled his rapier from his belt. "This isn't over yet," he said with confidence.

The Horseman snorted, "Try me."

Aremist came at Davik with his elegant rapier. He swished it about so fast Davik's only defense was to jump backward.

The Horseman jumped forward into Aremist's strike suddenly and swung his claymore. Aremist was thrown to the side.

"Ha…Valmese weakness," Davik snorted and walked towards Vincent. "Back to plan. You killed Gaius. Now I'll kill you _and_ your family. Fair?"

Vincent muttered something that couldn't be heard. Davik continued, "How would you like to die? Shall I remove your head? Gut you? Slice-Aghhhhhhhhh!"

"Never turn your back on your enemies, assbutt," Aremist panted, his rapier stabbing through Davik's heart.

The Horseman screamed as Aremist pulled the rapier out, "And thus the tyrant falls."

There was silence around him.

"Holy shit! I never knew you had it in you!" Vincent laughed from afar.

* * *

_A few days later…_

Remy walked towards his father's tent, "Father?"

There was a rustle inside followed by a strange sound. Puzzled, Remy looked inside.

All he saw was some blue smoke inside the tent.

_Huh. Wonder were father is. One of his smokeballs must have malfunctioned._

* * *

_Part One_

_Fin_

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Author Note: Well, the first of the Horsemen falls. The other three will have more detail to them, given that they're canon characters and I just have more time to think about them. I'm not quite sure I liked how Davik turned out, but I'll make it up to you next chapter.**

**Today is a special day for me. I'm a sentimental guy, and December 23rd will always be the day that I posted the first chapter of my first story, The Swordmaster. One year since I started writing...and I've written a total of 167,209 words. Not counting this chapter XD So all in all, Thanks COOKIECHEESEMAN for getting me to write!**

**But I have bigger things to think about.**

**I've hinted something big will happen next chapter to a few of you. And indeed something will.**

**Next chapter: Vincent vs Jenson**

"**Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up, never give in."**

**-The Doctor**


	6. An Underhanded Gambit

Disclaimer: I don't own FE…sadly.

**Sorry about the lack of update last week. I was busy. It was the holidays.**

**Colby stayed behind in Port Ferox, in case you find his sudden absence strange.**

**Well, this chapter was a bitch to write. And not because it was hard to write.**

**When you think of Jenson, picture Reno from Final Fantasy VII**

**Gather 'round muffincakes. I have a story to tell you**

* * *

Part 2

Chapter 6

An Underhanded Gambit

Remy walked through their encampment. They'd be fighting a battle within a few days. His father had intercepted a message saying how Davik was going to get reinforcements. Those reinforcements had retreated at word of Davik's loss. They stood between them and the capitol of Regna Ferox.

They were commanded by Jenson, the Spymaster of Ylisse.

_I must speak to father about this_

And so Remy made his way to Vincent's tent. He walked right into The General's abode. The Mad Hero saw his father sitting at his desk, his head in his hands.

_Is he…crying?_

"Father?" Remy said uncertainly.

Vincent bolted up and wiped his eyes clean of tears. "Who's there?" he said wildly.

"It's me…Remy," The Mad Hero walked towards his father. "What's that necklace you're wearing?"

"Hmm?" Vincent looked down at the rock on a string that was around his neck. "A fashion statement. Why did you come to see me?"

"I was wondering what the plan for fighting Jenson was," Remy sat down in the chair across from his father.

"Jenson? …Oh! Yes, plan. It's always good to have one of those. Unless you don't want a plan, then it's better to not have one," Vincent shuffled through the papers on his desk.

"Are you alright, father? You seem a bit…odd," Remy said curiously.

"What? Yes yes…I'm fine," Vincent said distractedly as he pawed through the various maps.

_Something's up with him_

_Why don't you find out?_

_How am I supposed to find anything out from him? He's Vincent._

…_Good point._

* * *

Jessie counted her mother's earnings for the day. While she didn't like the idea of helping in her mother's shop, Anna _was_ her mother, so she helped.

"Jessie? Can you go find your father for me? I want to have a word with him," Anna said putting a few steel swords away.

Jessie nodded and grabbed her new trench coat. If her father could wear one, so could she. Though hers was dark red like blood.

She meandered through the various soldiers milling about until she reached her father's tent. She entered after listening if he had visitors inside.

"Father?" she said as she walked in.

"Huh? What?" came her father's voice.

"Mother wants to see you," she said.

Vincent stood up from his desk sleepily, "Can you take me to her?"

Jessie cocked her head to the side, "You know where her shop is."

Vincent grabbed his feathered hat and put it on, "But I'm asking nicely."

Jessie rolled her eyes.

The two of them made their way back to Anna's shop. "You alright father? You seem…drunk."

Vincent laughed, "Ha! No, I don't drink."

"I seem to recollect that you drank at Morgan's wedding," Jessie looked at Vincent curiously.

"Hmm…that was a while ago though," Vincent said thoughtfully.

"Alright here we are. I'm going to look for Lowell," Jessie said. Her father nodded distractedly and stood still as she left.

She was about thirty paces away when she turned around. Her father hadn't moved from his spot outside of Anna's tent. He seemed to take a big breath, and walked in.

_We Spymasters are a strange bunch._

* * *

"Do you have a battle plan yet Vincent?" Balthazar said while sharpening a knife.

"I have the plan roughly sketched out. Morgan is going to be in charge though. And so will Remy," Vincent said as he too, sharpened a knife.

"Why?" Balthazar said puzzled. "You do fine with all of our plans, why have Morgan make it?"

"She needs practice."

"On a real battlefield?"

"Call it motivation."

Balthazar shook his, "This is an important fight, do you even know who leads the Ylissean-"

"I know who leads it. I know how powerful he is too. I must get going now, I have preparations to attend to," Vincent walked away from his fellow Spymaster.

* * *

"General, are you alright? You don't look your usual self," Aremist said.

"Your highness, you should worry more about yourself than me," Vincent rubbed his eyes wearily.

"It is my job as a future king to worry about my subjects. And you look like you are holding back something from the rest of us," Aremist declared knowledgeably

Vincent quirked an eyebrow, "You know Aremist, you're pretty observant. Yes, I am holding something back. But it doesn't concern you."

"General, you need to let us help you-"

"Milord, I must depart. Plans to make."

Aremist was left alone.

_I would have thought he'd ask me about how I killed Davik. How peculiar._

* * *

"Morgan, you're in charge of strategy for this upcoming battle," Vincent said.

"Why?" Morgan said bewildered. "I mean, you're a lot better than me! Why aren't you?"

"We need to keep your tactics ready. We may need them in the future."

Inigo shook his head, "That doesn't answer the question."

Vincent shrugged, "Come up with your own reason then. Because you just heard mine. If you'll excuse me, I must be off."

Morgan looked at her father as he left, "I'm worried about him."

Inigo nodded, "Something must be going on. I suspect we'll find out soon."

* * *

"Hello Anna," Vincent said as he entered their tent.

Anna looked up and smiled. Sure he'd been a bit off lately, but he was the Tactician of Insanity. Probably just worried about Jenson.

"Hello Vin," she said cheerfully.

"Vin, heh. I like that," he smirked.

"I know, that's why I call you it," she raised an eyebrow.

Vincent chuckled. He swooped down and kissed her as she was counting coins.

Coin counting can always be interrupted when the alternative is kissing.

"Tomorrow is the big day. When I smite that bastard," Vincent said in a strange tone.

"I know you can do it!" Anna cheered him on. He laughed. "Remember to say good night to Anna!'

"Huh? I just…Oh! _That_ Anna!" he laughed at his stupidity.

Anna chuckled to herself and went back to counting coins.

* * *

_The next day…_

Lowell looked out at the Ylisseans on the other side of the river. He could see Jenson on a horse at the front of the force.

He cast a glance at Vincent who sat on his horse with a stony expression. It worried him.

"Alright everyone. Whatever happens from here you do not interfere, understood?" Vincent looked around at every member of his posse. When they all nodded, he walked forward.

He waved his hand, "JENSON!" His voice was magnified.

Jenson got off his horse, "You know why I'm here Vincent. To wipe your existence off of this world!"

Vincent took off his feathered hat and tossed it Remy, "Keep that safe for me."

He walked forward but he was cut off by Anna, "Be careful!"

He stopped for a moment. Lowell was the only one to see the conflicting emotions on his face. "I'm always careful. I'm in_vin_cible," his perked up into a smile.

"Vincent! I challenge you to a duel!" Jenson yelled, also striding forward. There was a small island in the middle of the river. It would be perfect for no interruptions.

"I accept!" Vincent had a knife instantly in hand.

"I'll take your life with pleasure," Jenson said, brushing his pony tail out of his face. His reddish orange hair blew wildly in the wind.

Vincent walked faster to their battle ground, "If you want my life, COME. AND. GET IT!"

"Indeed I shall," Jenson said setting foot on the small island and drawing a long curved knife.

Vincent drew his stiletto.

Lowell instinctively put his hand on his knife as he watched the two men circle each other.

Vincent jumped at Jenson wildly. The Spymaster's knife met The General's in a flash of sparks. Lowell wished he could hear what they were saying, but they seemed to deactivate their spells that projected their voices.

Jenson tripped Vincent and performed a jump strike. Vincent rolled out of the way and got up in a way only a Spymaster could. He threw his knife at Jenson, who got out of the way. Vincent pulled out another knife.

Jenson drew another as well, now holding two knives in hand. He sliced at Vincent. Vincent blocked one of the knives, but the other gave him a cut on the shoulder.

Vincent stabbed at Jenson, but it was like slicing at smoke. The Ylissean was good, incompetent Spymasters didn't last long. Jenson slid back and leapt at Vincent again. The General dodged, but barely.

The Spymaster of Ylisse hurled one of his long curved knives at Vincent. It caught his trench coat, but not his skin.

Vincent seemingly paused to swear at Jenson, who just laughed.

Jenson rushed Vincent again. And Vincent did the same. Showers of sparks were created as their knives met with force.

Vincent and Jenson jumped back. They both sheathed their knives and pulled out several throwing knives. The two combatants started throwing them at each other. Jenson's missed Vincent, but One of The General's caught Jenson in the shoulder.

With his left shoulder incapacitated, Jenson drew another knife with his right hand. This one's blade was green. Poison.

Vincent drew a knife that was coated in purple liquid. This seemed to be the final move.

Jenson ran at Vincent, his knife poised at a very blockable angle. Vincent threw his knife.

Vincent's knife flew over Jenson's shoulder. Jenson got to Vincent and stabbed him in the chest. Vincent screamed as Jenson pulled the knife out.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Anna yelled and spurred her horse forward. Remy, Jessie and Morgan quickly followed.

_Vincent can't be dead!_

Lowell screamed, "ATTACK!"

The army roared in approval, seeking to kill the Ylisseans who were responsible for the General's injury.

Jenson signaled his army to attack and walked away from Vincent. He paused for a moment as if to say something, then continued on.

Lowell raced to Vincent too. By the time he got there, Anna was already in the process of healing her husband.

"Vincent, are you alright!?" he shouted over the forces that were clashing behind them. Balthazar and Aremist had their best units create a circle around them.

"I've closed the wound, but I can't stop the poison!" Anna screamed hysterically.

"Don't…be afraid," Vincent murmured.

"Don't talk sweetie, save your strength," Anna implored.

"I have things…that must be said," he muttered urgently. "There is a letter…in the chest under…my bed. Read it."

"Does anyone have a restore staff!?" Jessie shouted over the noise of battle.

"My time…is running out. Don't mourn me," Vincent's eyes began to close.

"NonononononononoNO! Don't close your eyes father!" Remy yelled.

"Stay with us father!" Morgan cried.

"We lost you once Vincent, we don't want to do it again!" Lowell yelled.

Vincent went limp, a smirk still on his face.

* * *

Anna couldn't even describe her pain. Her husband, the man she loved lay dead in her arms. And one thing burned in her mind.

_Jenson._

She unsheathed her curved sword. No longer did she sit without acting. Now she fought.

With a battle cry, Anna spun her elegant curved sword in her hand. Merchants did get their pick of weaponry from a wide range.

She charged forward through the protective circle guarding her husband's body. Ignoring whatever her children and friends were saying, she began to fight.

A soldier came at her, sword raised. He slashed it in a downwards strike at her. She blocked the blow. The man wasn't expecting this, and he stumbled back. Anna delivered his end with three slices to the stomach.

She looked about for Jenson. She cut her way through three more soldiers in her search. "Anna! Watch out!" a voice from behind called out.

She spun on the spot with agility. Her sword cleaved the enemy's arm off behind her. He screamed, and she cut off his head.

She nodded to Balthazar and ran forward on her search. The Merchant's search took her into the river. The water ran red, whatever beauty it held no longer existed.

She ducked out of the way of a mage's fireball. Anna began to run at him, sword poised to kill. He began casting again. After the mage's next failed attempt, he got nervous.

Then Anna killed him. He wasn't so nervous anymore.

The Merchant then caught sight of her target. Jenson was cutting a Valmese man's heart out. With a feral growl, she ran towards him.

The Spymaster caught sight of her. He flipped a knife in his hand and got ready. She screamed in rage and jumped at him. He blocked her strike with his knife. They exchanged blows until Jenson was disarmed.

"You'll pay for this," Anna growled in an unannaish way.

Jenson looked at her with pity. His face became a canvas of conflicting emotions, "I am truly sorry Anna. But-"

"I don't want to hear your pitiful words, bastard! I'm going to kill you!" she screamed.

Jenson looked down briefly, "My apologies, but that won't be possible. Captain!" A large man charged at Anna with that signal. She swore and swung her blade in an uppercut. The giant of a man blocked it with his spear. He then stabbed at her and missed.

She aimed a kick at his shin. He stumbled back, but recovered quickly. He slashed at her with his spear. Not the wisest move, but it cut her along her chest.

The Merchant attacked him like a woman possessed. He barely managed to stay alive long before her curved sword was sheathed into his heart.

She twisted the blade, finishing him off and withdrew it. Anna saw Jenson fleeing away. She ran after him.

The Merchant, without realizing it, was now deep within enemy lines. Hardly any Valmese were among the Ylisseans now.

"Anna! Come back! You'll get yourself killed!" Balthazar screamed. He must have been following her.

"No! I must get Jenson!" she yelled furiously. Another soldier fell before her anger.

"Vincent wouldn't want you killed!" he yelled urgently.

"My husband is dead, and I will kill his murderer!" she screamed.

"Anna…I'm sorry," The Spymaster said.

Anna turned around and was hit in the face by a fist.

* * *

_After the battle…_

Jessie sat with her family, Lowell, Balthazar and Aremist inside the command tent of the Valmese. It was half a family meeting, and to decide the fate of the army.

Jessie had her father's small chest on the circular table they all sat around. After picking the lock, she had a letter written in her father's writing.

"Here Remy, you read it," Jessie said in a monotone.

Remy nodded and took the envelope. He ripped it open and began to read.

"_If you're reading this, then I, Vincent, am dead. Oh, shut up. Quit your crying. If I was killed by some pathetic run of the mill soldier, I hope to the gods you hunted that bastard down and killed him._

"_More likely though, Jenson has killed me. Don't you worry, this was part of the plan. You all are safer now that I am dead. He won't be sending men after us now that I am gone. I may be dead, but you better keep on fighting._

"_Now, this army is left without a General. I have chosen Remiel to succeed me. Morgan is now in charge of tactics and Jessica is in charge of the spies. You three are the heads of the army now, I wish you luck._

"_I trust the Prince will have no objections to this. And if he does, he'll have to deal with it._

"_Lowell, you better keep my family safe. Call it fulfilling your debt to me once and for all._

"_Anna…I am truly sorry. I know you're probably angry with me. Hell, I _know _you are. Since chances are I didn't get a chance to say this when I was dying, I'll say it now. I love you. I'll love you forever, even through death and hell. You deserved better than me_

"_Oh, and burn my body. Call it my last request."_

Remy set down the letter. Jessie looked at her mother, who was crying silently. Morgan was trying to comfort her, but not doing a very good job due to the fact that she was crying as well.

Aremist broke the silence, "Well…Remiel, do you accept the position as General of the Valmese Army?"

Remy nodded, "Yes, I do."

The Prince nodded, "Please kneel so we can do this properly."

Remy stood up and walked over to the Prince and knelt. Aremist unsheathed his rapier, "Remiel, by the powers vested in me as the Crown Prince of Valm, you are now Sir Remiel, General of Valm."

Remy stood up. He turned to his family, "Morgan, will you be the tactician?"

Morgan nodded, whipping away her tears. Remy turned to Jessie, "And will you be in charge of intelligence?"

Jessie nodded as well. Remy turned back so he was facing everyone, "Alright, we have-" Remy stopped talking as he noticed something else in the envelope. Curious, he pulled out another sheet of paper and an envelope inside the envelope.

"_Remy, I know this is far off, but you don't have the soldiers to fully oppose the main Ylissean army. Since I am not here, I'm leaving this letter in your hands. Take it to Princess Lissa. She lives in northern Ferox. Convince her to stand up against her brother. And give her this letter. DO NOT OPEN IT. It is for her eyes only."_

Remy turned the letter over in his hand to see it addressed to Princess Lissa. He tucked it away in his pocket. He'd think about opening it later.

"Alright, we need to burn father's body, just like he wanted us to," Remy said, trying not to shed any tears.

Everyone who was in their right mind at the moment nodded.

* * *

Anna laid her husband's body on the pile of sticks they had constructed. It was a funeral pyre, one specifically meant for a hero.

Anna examined him for the last time before she lit the sticks on fire. The Merchant had his hat in her tent, so nothing obscured his face. She examined the strange rock he had around his neck.

_Strange…this looks familiar._

But she didn't dwell on that fact. Anna brushed his black hair out of his face. He looked several years younger. A few tears fell onto his black trench coat. She set down the tightly grasped torch onto the pyre.

The Merchant stepped back and watched her husband catch fire. "I'll love you always…" she whispered so softly only she could hear.

* * *

_Far away…_

"Thank you for all your help Henry," the man clothed in black said.

"Nyah ha ha, how's that sword work coming along?" the druid asked.

"Good. I have the best teacher for swordwork," the man said.

"So I suppose we're to go off and play our respective parts?" Henry said.

The man nodded, "Yes. I must be off. I need to take advantage of my opportunity."

Henry held out a pouch, "Here, you'll need this."

The man chuckled, "Warp powder. So thoughtful of you."

"Nyah ha! Just go out there and make things bloody!" Henry cackled.

"Indeed I will. I'll see you around Henry," he grabbed a fistful of the powder.

"Have fun Yurick!" Henry waved goodbye.

Yurick threw the powder towards the ground and vanished into blue smoke.

* * *

**Author Note: Yep. I did that. Vincent is dead. Plot twist.**

**I'm going to eat a muffin now. Muffins make me happy. And I am sad.**

"**Yes, I have broken my vows, Valter. And yes, it may be I who falls when we tilt lances… but a dog like you will never see me crawl."**

**-Cormag, FE8**


	7. A Crimson Streak

Disclaimer: Don't own FE.

* * *

Chapter 7

A Crimson Streak

Balthazar ducked into the bushes as the guard passed. He was investigating a prison camp. It was a large castle and probably used to be a Feroxi dungeon. Numerous prisoners were there, and it was Balthazar's job to gauge whether an attack on it was worth it.

General Remiel was only a few steps away from the capitol of Ferox. Figuratively speaking of course, but this prison fortress might be something they couldn't afford to have sitting behind their backs.

The Spymaster peeked out of the bushes in the courtyard. It was nighttime, and guards were everywhere.

The rumor was that several men and women from the Feroxi Resistance were locked up in the fortress. And the Resistance was proving to be elusive. No one could find them, and the Valmese were in need of more soldiers. For as big as the Resistance was, it was quite a feat.

And there was the matter of Princess Lissa. Where was she? She'd come to Ferox with her husband after the last war, but no one knew where she was.

"Oi! Who's there!?" a voice shouted.

_Aw, fuck._

Balthazar quickly identified the voice and threw a knife in its direction. He needed to get out of her. The Spymaster started running. Soon, there were even more shouts. He was running for his life now.

An arrow flew past him, almost taking his ear off. There was no possible way a normal soldier had fired that shot, it was too good.

His thoughts were interrupted when the next arrow sliced cleanly through his right arm. Balthazar screamed and collapsed clutching his arm.

Everything moved by him in a blur. As Ylisseans were picking him up roughly, he blacked out.

* * *

Jessie was the one to deliver the news to Remy, "Balthazar was captured."

"Shit," Remy muttered. He, Jessie and Morgan all sat in the command tent to plan out their next move.

"We'll need to rescue him," Morgan said studying the map carefully.

"We can't just sacrifice soldiers for one man," Jessie said.

"But the people in that prison are from the Resistance. We need to find the Resistance," Remy argued.

Morgan sighed, "I wish father were here, he'd know what to do."

Silence enveloped the three of them.

"Alright…let's march upon the fortress. We can't take chances with it being behind us as we move forward. They could attack us," Remy said.

His siblings nodded.

Jessie stood up, "You lead the army. I'll sneak in and draw up the gate and rescue the prisoners."

"It'll be dangerous," Morgan said.

"Got any better ideas?" Jessie shot back.

Morgan shook her head. They had a plan.

* * *

_A few days later…_

Jessie had scaled the wall by climbing up a few vines on the side of the castle. She was inside the castle.

It was dark out, Remy and Morgan were attacking at dark to strengthen their advantage. The Ylisseans' advantage was in their archers. Darkness was an archer's foe.

The red cloaked Spymaster crept along the walls staying low. She got to the end of the wall she was climbing on and before her was a door.

Jessie quickly picked the lock and entered through the door.

Twelve soldiers awaited her. Before she could even ready a knife, she felt the flat of a sword collide with her skull.

* * *

Jessie awoke to a cold stone floor and iron bars. She lifted her head slowly. The Spymaster was still dizzy from her encounter. And she had probably been thrown into the cell. Literally.

Jessie took in her surroundings. It was a stone cell with four walls and a small cell door. But what was most important, was that she wasn't alone in the cell. A person was on the bed with a blanket over them. A ratty, torn up blanket that had seen years of use.

"H-hello?" Jessie said shakily.

"…"

"Where am I?" Jessie asked curiously.

"…Hell."

The Spymaster almost jumped. It was a woman's voice.

The woman threw off the blanket. Her face held an angry expression amidst her fiery red hair. "Why the fuck are you here?" she asked angrily.

"Um…I was captured?" Jessie said nervously.

"Not what I meant. Why are you in my fucking cell?" the woman asked.

"Um…" Jessie didn't have an answer.

The woman got up off her bed. She was extremely skinny, a sign that she'd been in this cell for a long time. She walked to the cell doors, "Hey! Why the fuck is there someone else in this cell with me!? I've been here long enough that I demand a cell of my own!"

"Oh, shut up!" yelled one of the guards.

"I'm going to murder you all for this!" she yelled back.

The woman sat back down on her bed. She glared at Jessie furiously, "Alright, shut the hell up and don't talk to me. Don't count the bricks either, I've done it five times and I don't want to hear you count."

"What's your name?" Jessie asked.

The woman sighed, "Fine, you want my life story? My name is Crimson. My parents are dead. I robbed a powerful man ten years ago and I was thrown in here. I've been a prisoner for ten years now. I hate the idea of someone sharing my cell."

Jessie blinked, "My name is Jessie. And I'm sure you'll get out of here soon."

Crimson snorted, "Fuck that. Life isn't fair, I should have gotten out of here years and years ago. But I didn't."

"That's not what I meant, my brother is leading an army onto this prison soon. We'll get out soon," Jessie said.

Crimson rolled her eyes, "Why the fuck would he come get you? And he wouldn't free me, I'm just a peasant. You noble assholes have better things to do."

"We're not nobles," Jessie said confused.

"I'm sure you aren't," Crimson said sarcastically. "Your speech doesn't give it away or anything, or your expensive clothes. Of course you aren't a noble."

Jessie was about to respond when she heard someone picking the door to her cell. She turned her head to see Lowell.

"Lowell!" she cheered and hugged him when the door opened.

"Quite an interesting conversation, you two," Lowell quirked an eyebrow. He turned to Crimson, "Want to come with us? I can't let a beautiful girl like you rot in jail."

Crimson laughed harshly, "Beautiful? Me!? Bullshit."

Lowell shrugged, "It's your choice. C'mon Jessie, let's find Balthazar."

"How's Remy?" Jessie asked.

"The Valmese army is attacking right now. That's why no one is stopping me from breaking you out," Lowell smirked.

Jessie followed Lowell down the hallway looking for Balthazar. There were stopped by a familiar laugh.

"Nyah ha ha! I knew somebody'd get us out of here!" a man shouted from in a cell. Jessie turned to see Henry and his wife Olivia inside the cell to her right.

"Henry! How have you been?" Lowell said cheerfully as he walked over to pick the lock.

"Oh, the usual. Killing lots of people with the Resistance. Mmm…blood," Henry said with his signature smile.

"You're with the Resistance?" Jessie asked.

"Of course we are," Olivia said. "Lon'qu is Ferox's hope."

"There," Lowell swung open the door.

"Yay!" Henry exclaimed. "How's Vincent?"

Lowell and Jessie didn't say anything. "He's dead," Lowell finally said.

Olivia gasped and Henry's jaw dropped, _"WHAT!?"_

"Jenson," Lowell said simply.

Henry swore, which was surprising given that Jessie had never heard him swear in her life. The Sorcerer's hands started trembling, "Let's go kill some Ylisseans."

Jessie nodded vigorously.

* * *

Crimson strolled out of the cell. The guards were gone, she was a free woman now. No longer imprisoned because she was the daughter of the wrong man!

She began to laugh, too long had she rotted in that cell.

_Ha! If my mother and father could see me now…Hell, if I could see me now I wouldn't recognize me._

Crimson walked into the guards' weapon room and grabbed her equipment. She looked in the mirror on the wall. She finally saw all the dirt and filth on her. It was time to shed her disguise.

With a small incantation, the façade crumbled. Her red hair reshaped, the dirt fell off of her, and her clothes turned to red. She looked at herself in the mirror and laughed.

She put a finger on her chin and winked.

Just like an Anna.

* * *

Lowell found Balthazar's cell. The Spymaster of Valm lay unconscious on his bed. His right arm was badly injured.

"I'll carry him," Lowell said. He picked Balthazar up as gently as he could.

Lowell led the party of four through the winding passageways of the fortress. There were no soldiers.

"Be careful everyone, the battle in the courtyard is huge," Lowell muttered as they approached one of the doors to the courtyard. "We all ready?"

His three companions nodded. "Weapons at the ready…" Lowell whispered as he grabbed the door handle.

The Duke of Garuvega pushed the door open as hard as he could and ran outside.

Magic and arrows were flying across the once beautiful courtyard. Remy and his forces had broken open the gate and had flooded inside the courtyard. It was chaos.

"C'mon! We need to move!" Lowell shouted. Jessie stayed behind him, her knives at the ready. Henry was already flinging bolts of dark magic at the nearest Ylisseans. When people looked at Henry, they never expected much.

Those people never lasted long against him.

Lowell, Jessie, Henry and Olivia carved a path through the Ylisseans. Valmese soldiers soon intercepted them and escorted them back into friendly territory. Lowell quickly passed Balthazar off to some clerics.

"Lowell!" Remy shouted over the heat of battle.

Lowell turned to the sound of his name being called. "There's an archer that is picking us off like bugs at the west wall! Take care of him!" Remy yelled and returned to decapitating Ylisseans.

Lowell quickly found the archer in question. "Follow me," Lowell commanded then men around him. They hastened to obey him. He was a Duke after all.

Together, he and his men fought their way through the rapidly decreasing Ylissean numbers. The Valmese were sure to win, but it was Remy's job to minimize casualties.

Lowell instructed his men to guard him as he climbed the vine filled wall. The Duke began climbing the wall. Three arrows hit the wall near him. Too close for comfort.

"Dammit assbutts! I said guard me!" Lowell screamed to his troops below. No more arrows neared Lowell after that.

The Assassin got to his feet on the wall. He spied the archer thirty feet away from his current position. Lowell readied a knife and threw it at the man.

To Lowell's disbelief, the man jumped out of the way just in time while managing to shoot another arrow. "Hello Lowell, long time no see," the man said, finally turning towards Lowell.

"You…you one of the men on the team that was to assassinate The Dynast King!" Lowell shouted.

"Uh huh. I betrayed you and you're sister. Made me rich and in charge of this fortress," the man grinned.

"Bastard!" Lowell ran at the man.

The archer threw down his bow and unsheathed the sword at his belt. Lowell's knife collided with the archer's blade. "She died screaming, Syrenne. Killed her myself," the archer chuckled.

In less than three seconds, the man was down on the ground clutching the right side of his chest. His lug was punctured and blood was filling it. He was dead, but he didn't know it yet.

Lowell bent over him, "Don't piss me off." And he yanked the knife out.

* * *

Remy sat tiredly on a stone bench within the castle walls. The battle had ended, and his soldiers were making sure the castle was clean of Ylisseans.

"General Remiel! Our scouts report that a legion of Ylisseans are on their way here!" a breathless man said.

_I'll never get used to that title._

_Wait…SHIT!_

Remy jumped to his feet, "Dammit man, how many are there!?"

"We don't know, sir. But we know their commander," he said nervously.

"Who is it!?"

"One of the Four Horsemen. Cordelia, the Winged Scourge."

"Shit! Rally the troops! I want everyone to be battle ready in ten minutes! How much time do we have?" Remy yelled.

"Half an hour at most, sir," the man said.

"Well go then! Relay the orders to every officer you see!" Remy picked up his axe and shield and began running. Soon, a Valmese horn was sounding. The call to rally at their camp.

"General!" Aremist said catching up and running alongside of Remy.

"Yes milord?" Remy said breathlessly.

"Lady Jessica's scouts report the numbers of our foe number double ours. We cannot win. Perhaps if Chon'sin's aid were here, but they're still at sea and won't be here for a month," Aremist said.

"Gods dammit!" Remy swore. "Form everyone up. We don't have any time to lose!"

Aremist nodded and drew his new sword. It was a broadsword. He'd discarded the rapier a while ago. Actually, he'd taken it and snapped it in half.

The Mad Hero burst into his mother's tent, "Mother!"

Anna stood up already ready for battle. She drew her curved sword, "I am ready to fight."

Remy nodded wearily, "Let's go!"

Anna nodded and ran alongside of him. Remy soon found himself next to Morgan and Jessie at the front of his assembling army.

His army, not his father's.

Remy could already see the approaching army. And it looked even bigger than what the scouts reported.

The Prince was the next to arrive. He nodded to each leader in turn, "Lady Jessica, Lady Morgan, General, I trust we're ready?"

Remy nodded grimly, "As ready as we'll every be."

* * *

Balthazar was trying to escape the clerics, "Dammit! I have to help them!"

"Absolutely not!" one of them said. "You can't even use your right arm any longer! How can you expect to fight!?"

Balthazar swore rapidly as he tried to push past them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the head of a staff descend upon his head.

"Wha-" Balthazar fell backward, unconscious.

* * *

Remy stood in front of the Valmese army. Almost all of Vincent's Posse were there, including Henry and Olivia. Balthazar was too wounded to fight.

"Do we have a plan?" Remy asked Morgan.

Morgan shook her head sadly, "No time. Not enough information. This will be our final stand." She hugged Inigo who was standing next to her.

Remy's axe was soon in his hand, "Our final stand this may be, but like hell will I go down calmly. I'll kick and bite all the way!"

Aremist pointed his sword forward, "FOR VALM!"

The Mad Hero let loose a war cry and began running, axe poised high. The Posse joined him next and they were followed by the rest of the army.

The Ylissean army stopped moving and braced themselves for the oncoming attack. The Valmese were not like that, they completely disregarded the average soldier's tension the instant before the clash. The Valmese charged without slowing down into the Ylissean force.

Remy decapitated a generic soldier. He saw the Posse fighting will full power around him. Like a knife, they stabbed into the Ylissean front.

"Our only chance is to kill Cordelia!" Remy yelled. "Focus all efforts in dividing the Ylisseans in half!"

The Valmese obeyed with absolute quickness. Walhart's discipline was an advantage the Ylisseans didn't have.

For a few golden minutes, it seemed like they had a chance at getting to Cordelia and ending the battle. But when the Ylisseans figured out what they were doing, that ending abruptly.

The Valmese were pushed back. They suffered massive casualties. So far, the Posse hadn't lost anyone yet. But each member's strength was waning. It wouldn't be long before the main command of the Valmese was over run.

And everything would have been lost too, if one man and his army hadn't intervened.

"_How well will you die!?"_ Lon'qu yelled as Feroxi soldiers streamed out of the forest to the left of the Ylissean army.

The Feroxi Resistance hit the Ylisseans with force. The Ylisseans were soon fighting on two fronts.

Remy watched as Lon'qu spun and sliced his way to the Valmese. Shortly behind him was his daughter Severa and Khan Flavia.

"Khan Lon'qu," Remy saluted.

The Khan nodded and stroked his beard, "Where is the General?"

"I am General Remiel of the Valmese Army," Remy said. The Feroxi soldiers had made a ring around them protecting their leader.

"We will speak of this later," Lon'qu said.

Remy nodded and turned back to the fight. It was good he did, for a javelin flew at him. He barely deflected it with his shield. The Mad Hero looked at his attacker.

It was Cordelia. She rode a huge pegasus and carried a long spear. The Winged Scourge was completely armored except for her face. Her helmet was in her hands and she was looking right at the Khan. Lon'qu met her gaze. The two of them stood there in stony silence amidst a battle staring at each other.

"Retreat!" Cordelia yelled.

Remy could hear one of here captains yelling back, "Ma'am, we've got them on the run-" His sentence was cut short by Cordelia spear in his throat.

"Retreat!" she yelled again. This time, her forces obeyed. "Do not follow us, or we will destroy you."

The Valmese and Feroxi troops cheered. They had triumphed against unbelievable odds.

* * *

"…and that's what's happened so far," Remy finished.

Lon'qu nodded and stroked his beard, "It is a shame Vincent is dead. He will be missed by Valmese and Feroxi alike. But we cannot dwell on the past, we have bigger problems."

Remy nodded, "How did you come to power Lon'qu?"

"Basilio was the leader of Regna Ferox at the time of the attack. He passed his power onto me, his second in command. Flavia here has remained East Khan however," Lon'qu said in his low voice.

Lon'qu stood up, "Thank you for freeing Henry and Olivia, they have been unmeasurably useful to the Resistance."

Remy nodded, "They're my friends too."

Lon'qu nodded and departed.

* * *

**Author Note: Well, that was fun. I enjoyed this chapter, mostly because of all the foreshadowing. And most of it you can't see 'cause I hid it too well I'm sure.**

**People…Xenoblade Chronicles 2…LOOKS FUCKING EPIC!**

**We'll get into the effect of Vincent's death next chapter. Some people aren't coping well.**

**Ack, sorry about a late update. I'm in highschool, and the end of the term is quickly approaching. I've been stressed to do well on my tests. But we'll get back to normal a week from next.**

"**Booze always tastes better when you can't taste it anymore."**

**-Syrenne, The Last Story**


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